EXPERTS VIEW ON ADUCANUMAB, A TREATMENT FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, UNDER EVALUATION FOR APPROVAL FROM HEALTH CANADA
Aducanumab, a possible treatment, or disease-modifying therapy, for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) developed by Biogen is under evaluation for approval from Health Canada (HC) after having obtained a conditional FDA approval (amidst controversy). Researchers and clinicians from six Canadian organizations working in dementia research and care have carefully analyzed the situation and recently sent a consensus statement to health authorities and other relevant regulatory bodies in Canada.
CONSENSUS STATEMENT
Read the published consensus statement in the Canadian Geriatrics Journal.
This document was prepared and signed by a group of experts (see list below) and sent to Health Canada and to health regulatory bodies.
Read the summary of the statement here. This document was prepared for the general public. It was reviewed by patients with dementia and people with a lived experience of dementia (family members, caregivers, etc.).
Read the press release issued on August 12, 2021.
SIGNATORIES
The statement was prepared and endorsed by members of the following organizations:
CCNA (Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging) is a Canadian national umbrella organization for research on dementia funded by CIHR and partners with 350 researchers across Canada.
C5R (Consortium of Canadian Centres for Clinical Cognitive Research) is a not-for-profit research network of 30 academic memory clinics and research sites across Canada that conduct clinical trials in the desire to research and develop treatments for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other forms of dementia.
CAGP (Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry) is a national organization of psychiatrists and health professionals dedicated to promoting mental health in the Canadian elderly population through the clinical, educational, research and advocacy activities of its membership.
CGS (Canadian Geriatric Society) is the professional society for Geriatric Medicine specialists and Care of the Elderly specialists, and has over 500 members representing such specialists, along with medical students and residents, as well as other physicians and members of allied health professions with an interest in the health care of older adults.
ONDRI (Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative) brings together Ontario’s research scientists and clinicians to tackle the complexity of dementia by studying multiple diseases related to neurodegeneration. ONDRI is funded by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI).
TDRA (Toronto Dementia Research Alliance) is a University of Toronto collaboration of scientists and clinicians which aims to better understand, prevent, and treat dementia, and embed research into care.
The statement is also supported by:
CIMA-Q (the Consortium for the early identification of Alzheimer’s disease) gathers more than 90 Quebec based researchers and clinicians who share the common ambition of advancing knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, the aim is to develop tools to detect the very first signs of the disease.
Individual signatories:
Shabbir Amanullah, DPM, MD, FRCPsych (UK), CCT (UK), FRCPC, DFCPA, FIIOPM
Also on behalf of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry (CAGP)
President, CAGP
Chief of Psychiatry, Woodstock General Hospital
Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto and Western Ontario
Sandra Black, O.C., O.Ont., Hon. DSc., MD, FRCP(C), FRSC, FAAN, FAHA, FANA
Professor of Medicine (Neurology), Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto
Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program Director, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Scientific Director, Dr. Sandra Black Centre for Brain Resilience and Recovery
Site Leader, Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery
Christian Bocti, MD, FRCPC
Full Professor, Department of Medicine
Division of Neurology and Research Center on Aging.
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Université de Sherbrooke
Michael Borrie, MB ChB, FRCPC
Geriatrician and Professor at Western University, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine
Past President, C5R
Howard Chertkow, MD, FRCP, FCAHS
Also on behalf of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Scientific Director, CCNA
Senior Scientist and Chair in Cognitive Neurology and Innovation, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences
Director, Kimel Centre for Brain Health and Baycrest Clinical Trials Unit;
Affiliate Member, Dept. of Neurology, McGill University and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
Howard Feldman, MDCM FRCP(C)
Professor, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Director, ADCS (Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study), UCSD
Dean for Alzheimer’s and Related Neurodegenerative Research, UCSD
Morris Freedman, MD, FRCPC
Head, Division of Neurology, Baycrest
Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest,
Professor, Faculty of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto
Medical Director, Cognition & Behaviour, Baycrest
David Hogan, MD, FACP, FRCP
Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Academic Lead, Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging, O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary
Robin Hsiung, MD, MHSc, FRCPC, FACP, FAAN
Also on behalf of the Consortium of Canadian Centres for Clinical Cognitive Research (C5R)
President, C5R
Associate Professor in the Division of Neurology Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Andrew Kirk, MD, FRCPC
Professor of Neurology, University of Saskatchewan
Mario Masellis, MD, PhD
Also on behalf of the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (ONDRI)
Co-Lead, ONDRI
Associate Scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Associate Professor, Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto
Research Scientist, Neurogenetics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Clinician-scientist, Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Director, Cognitive & Movement Disorders Clinic, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook
Manuel Montero-Odasso, MD, PhD, FRCPC, AGSF, FGSA
Also on behalf of the Canadian Geriatrics Society (CGS)
Vice-President, CGS
Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Western Ontario
Director of the “Gait & Brain Lab” at Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario
Geriatrician and clinician-scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute
Haakon Nygaard, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Division of Neurology
Charles E. Fipke Professor of Alzheimer’s Research
Director, UBC Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders, University of British Columbia
Natalie Phillips, PhD
Also on behalf of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Associate Scientific Director, CCNA
Professor in the Department of Psychology, Concordia University
Concordia University Research Chair (Tier 1) in Sensory-Cognitive Health in Aging and Dementia
Neuropsychologist and Project Director at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
Member of the Centre for Research in Human Development and the Centre for Research on Language Mind and Brain
Cross-appointed to the Department of Clinical Neurosciences in the Jewish General Hospital
Kenneth Rockwood, MD, MPA, FRCPC, FRCP
Also on behalf of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Associate Scientific Director, CCNA
Senior Medical Director, Frailty/Elder Care Network, and Staff Physician, Nova Scotia Health
Professor of Medicine (Geriatric Medicine and Neurology) and Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research, Dalhousie University
Tarek Rajji, MD, FRCPC
Also on behalf of the Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA)
Executive Director, TDRA
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Canada Research Chair in Neurostimulation for Cognitive Disorders
Chief, Adult Neurodevelopment and Geriatric Psychiatry Division
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Louis Verret, M.D., FRCPC, neurologue
Diplômé en neurologie comportementale et neuropsychiatrie (United Council for Neurological Subspecialities)
Professeur de clinique, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval
Directeur, Clinique interdisciplinaire de mémoire (CIME) du CHU de Québec, Université Laval
Marie-Jeanne Kergoat, MD, PhD
Geriatrician
Director, Cognition Clinic and Specialized Medicine Services, Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l’Ile-de-Montréal
Co-Lead, CIMA-Q
Full Professor of Medicine, Université de Montréal
Signed on behalf of CIMA-Q (added July 22, 2021)
Media coverage
CBC The National, August 12, 2021 Debating the risks, benefits of a controversial Alzheimer drug
The New York Times, December, 20, 2021 Biogen slashes price of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, as it faces obstacles
The New York Times, December, 31, 2021 Decision Looms That Could Determine Fate of Alzheimer’s Drug