TORONTO, ON, July 27, 2015 – Men in Quebec are one step closer to accessing Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride), for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease, thanks to a recent announcement by the Quebec government. Xofigo will be included on the Quebec Liste des médicaments – Établissements, giving hospitals the ability to provide patients with this new treatment option.
“We congratulate the Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services on the decision to add Xofigo to the Liste des médicaments – Établissements”, says Christian Lauterbach, President & CEO, Bayer Inc. “We are pleased that the Minister has recognized the value of Xofigo and the benefits it offers men in Quebec. At Bayer, we are committed to continually providing patients with innovative treatments that enhance their well-being.”
The active ingredient in Xofigo is an alpha particle-emitting radioactive therapeutic agent that undermines the development and growth of bone metastases. It mimics calcium and selectively targets bone, specifically areas of bone metastases, minimizing damage to the surrounding normal tissue. Xofigo is the first and only alpha particle-emitting therapeutic radiopharmaceutical agent approved by Health Canada that has demonstrated an overall survival benefit.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men worldwide with close to 24,000 Canadians diagnosed with the disease in 2014. Metastases result when the initial cancer spreads beyond the prostate to other areas of the body – often the bone. Ninety per cent of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) will develop bone metastases. This can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life, causing severe pain and compromising the structure of the bone, which can result in increased fractures. Bone metastases are the main cause of death in patients with mCRPC.
Xofigo was approved by Health Canada in December 2013 and is currently listed in Ontario, British Columbia and Québec. Xofigo is in the process of being reviewed by other provincial cancer agencies as a new treatment option for patients dealing with mCRPC.