Health Committee on Nov. 29th, 2022

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Health Canada is working closely with the provinces and territories, as well as other stakeholders, including industry, patient advocacy groups and others, to develop a national strategy for high-cost drugs for rare diseases, specifically to provide funding to address the high cost of those drugs.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

I just want to clarify the meaning of my question to make good use of our time.

When you say you work with a variety of stakeholders, what exactly are you doing?

Are you just having conversations or is a more specific plan starting to emerge?

Is this strategy making progress?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Yes, the strategy is making progress.

We've had several rounds of consultation. We worked on a draft strategy. We engaged provinces, stakeholders and other colleagues through the course of last spring.

We are working to finalize the rare disease strategy and, specifically, drugs for rare diseases in the coming weeks, such that Canadians can receive the support from this. The government provisioned funding in budget 2019 to support this.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you.

On another topic, the Quebec government and Quebec physicians have called for a national breast implant registry, as implants can pose a significant health hazard to the population.

It appears that there is currently no registry for these medical devices and that this issue would fall under federal jurisdiction.

The committee will probably carry out a study on this soon, but I would like to know if this issue is being taken seriously.

Have any steps been taken to better protect women's health and keep a registry of these medical devices?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

This is a very important issue for Health Canada.

I would like to yield the floor to Dr. Sharma to answer your question.

[Dr. Supriya Sharma, Chief Medical Advisor and Senior Medical Advisor, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health]

The issue of a registry for breast implants, joints or other medical devices has been raised in the past as well. We're in the process of working with CIHR to put together what's called a “best brains exchange”, which brings together experts in different federal departments to ask the questions.

If we need a breast implant registry, what would that look like? Who should host it? What would that entail?

That's something that's being actively planned right now. It will be happening in January 2023, and then we'll be working with partners to advance it.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Thank you. I'm coming back to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

That's all the time you had left, Mr. Garon.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

How much time did I have left?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Two and a half minutes.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Oh, sorry.

So I'm done.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

We'll go to Mr. Davies, please, for two and a half minutes.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you.

I have a few questions here. I'm curious to follow up on the investment the federal government made to construct the new biologics manufacturing centre in Montreal to produce vaccines. We were expected to produce up to two million vaccine doses within a certain amount of time.

Can you confirm if we are producing the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at the NRC's biologics manufacturing centre?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Mr. Chair, I will respond in part and would recommend any follow-up with the National Research Council.

Indeed, the investment made has resulted in the construction of a biologics manufacturing centre. It is going through the final stages of its good manufacturing practice compliance and assessment of batches of vaccine produced there. It is being done through a partnership with Novavax to produce that vaccine.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Is there any idea when we might see actual doses produced?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

They're being produced now to ensure that full regulatory compliance and the test results on the quality of the batches can be ascertained to complete the certification of the facility.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Chair, there seems to be an issue with interpretation.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Just a minute, Dr. Lucas.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Chair, there seemed to be an issue with interpretation. I think it's now working.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

You say it's working.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

If you speak in English, we will know.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Is everything okay now?

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

It's working, thank you.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Can I make sure I have my time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Yes.