Health Canada speeds up drug review process

Because of production cuts at the Sandoz Canada plant, drug makers were called to find alternative sources from outside Canada to replace drugs in short supply, Citytv reported.

The generic drug maker began cutting back production to address concerns by the FDA about quality standards at the plant.

Canada federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq was quoted by Citytv as saying that it takes about six months to complete an assessment and approve a drug for use in Canada, but with the urgency of the situation, the government is looking at cutting that down to a month.

The Department’s biologic and genetic therapies directorate head Robert Cushman said so far, Health Canada has received applications to have 23 drugs made by other manufacturers, primarily companies in Europe and the US, as substitutes for Sandoz products in short supply.

Sandoz has identified five pharmaceutical plants outside Canada that could produce some types of medications that the company is not able to fully supply at this time.