Industry Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2021

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

It's clearer like that. Thank you very much.

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Those submissions are in different stages of review, obviously, just starting, the Novavax rolling submission now with their initial data being provided. By contrast, as I noted previously, we're at the final stage of our review of the AstraZeneca submission and are working closely with the company for the remaining information that will allow us to complete our review of that in the very short term.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Lucas, I'm going to come back to Mr. Davies' question earlier. It concerned the procurement contracts signed with Health Canada and the Government of Canada. Health Canada is certainly aware of this, since the terms of the contract directly set out what the department can or cannot do to approve them.

Why has the Canadian government not disclosed the content of these contracts?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, as Minister Hajdu indicated previously, Minister Anand will be appearing before the committee. We have to respond very specifically. We have a very significant amount of information up on the Canada.ca coronavirus website.

I would indicate further that in regard to the regulatory decisions, a scientific summary basis of decision is posted. Further to our strong commitment to transparency, the product monograph, further information on the authorization and the clinical data associated with the development of the vaccines will also be posted.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sherry Romanado]

Thank you so much.

Our next round of questions goes to MP Erskine-Smith.

You have the floor for five minutes.

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Thanks very much, Madam Chair.

I want to pick up where I left off with the question of what more we can do as it relates to contact tracing, as it relates to testing and as it relates to supporting individuals in need before we have full vaccination across this country.

Narrowing in specifically on rapid tests, how many rapid tests have we delivered to the provinces?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, in regard to rapid tests, as of January 31, we had delivered 17,686 rapid tests to the provinces. That includes the Abbott ID NOW as well as antigen tests by several manufacturers.

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

My understanding from media reports is that Ontario, as an example and which is where I am, has used only a fraction of the rapid tests that it has received. I have sat in the House of Commons in question period and I have felt that insistence myself, to say we need more rapid testing until we have a fuller vaccine rollout.

You're in communication with your provincial counterparts. Why are they not using the rapid tests that have been delivered to them?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, I first note that it is critically important, as noted, that public health measures coupled with testing and screening, contact tracing and isolation of cases and contacts, as well as vaccination, all continue in the work to control the pandemic.

In regard to the provinces and territories, we have worked very closely in terms of providing information on the use of those tests, provided guidance in October and have established fora to work on understanding how they can be used and sharing lessons learned.

The use of the tests is increasing day by day. For example, in the fall, Nova Scotia used the antigen tests to test people in pop-up settings associated with some downtown bars and restaurants, and they did good work. Ontario has also worked with them in workplace settings, with employers. We're seeing that work increase, and providing guidance for testing through convening provinces and territories with experts as a means of doing that.

I would just conclude by saying as well that we've provided further guidance through the expert panel on testing and screening that Minister Hajdu convened. They released a report recently—

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

I'm familiar with that report. The co-chair, Dr. Irfan Dhalla, is brilliant. He happens to be a constituent. He said, “We need the federal government to procure more of them. We need the federal government to approve more of them, and then we need the provincial governments to support the more rapid use and wide-scale use of them.”

Do you agree with that statement?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Yes, Madam Chair, we are working to procure more tests. We have further ones in our regulatory pipeline and are working closely, as I noted, with the provinces and territories to encourage and support, in all regards, their use. We are also working with other interested parties to support their use for screening as well as testing purposes.

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

As it relates to screening, I want to narrow in specifically as we look at reopening our schools. Here in Ontario, in Toronto, a hot spot, the provincial government has not been so clear with parents about how schools are to be reopened.

One would think, though, with what we know today, that you would have a clear, rapid testing regime using screening for, say, teachers and potentially even students, multiple times a week. You're going to have sufficient rapid testing to screen the individuals who are having to go into the workplace.

Have those conversations been active with the Province of Ontario, and if so, do we have enough rapid tests at scale for that kind of reopening to happen?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, we are working with the provinces on different use cases. Some of them are indeed looking at schools or universities as settings for screening on an ongoing or regular basis. We're working with them to understand that demand and have proactively procured tens of millions of rapid antigen tests, for example, to address those and other settings.

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

The last question, I suppose, is just on human resources. There was some media reporting in relation to there being tens of thousands of Canadians who have stepped up to serve in contract tracing or otherwise, but who have not been put to full use.

Can you give this committee an update concerning those efforts and ways in which Canadians can step up to support them?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, indeed, in the spring, Health Canada launched a national volunteer recruitment initiative and had extraordinary support from Canadians. It was followed up, and information was provided to the provinces, for example, for support in long-term care.

We've gone back to people in the inventory to confirm interest and are working, again with the provinces, on people who may be interested, for example, in helping out with in the vaccination campaign in functions that their experience and qualifications would support.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sherry Romanado]

Thank you so much.

We will go to our next round of questions.

Mr. Lemire, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to come back to Medicago. Can you confirm the information that this Quebec-based company could not commercialize its vaccine before September, even if it had the green light from your agency?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, as I believe I noted earlier, Medicago was identified as a strong candidate and recommended by the vaccine task force for entering into an advance procurement agreement, which has been done.

They have, as well, submitted for clinical trials to Health Canada. An initial submission was made in July for an initial phase one trial, and another subsequently in early November—their clinical trial for phase two and three stages, with a larger population. They have an additional clinical trial under way in the United States.

This clinical development program will help provide the evidence for them to build their dossier for regulatory submission to Health Canada.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

If Medicago is ready before September, it will be able to market its vaccine and vaccinate Quebeckers and Canadians before September.

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, the approach for regulatory authorization requires a rigorous set of stages, starting with preclinical research, including in animal models, and initial phase one trials in a small group of volunteers, which was authorized for Medicago in July, as I noted.

With those results, Medicago proceeded to the next stage, which was their combined phase two and phase three trial, in which they intend, through participation in Canada as well as in the United States, to enrol more than 30,000 adult participants.

All of these stages, coupled with their work to define their manufacturing process and ensure good manufacturing practices, will contribute to their dossier, and we can—

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Can you confirm that, if its vaccine were recognized by Health Canada, there is no agreement that would prevent Medicago from distributing it before September?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

That is dependent, Madam Chair, on when Medicago completes its work and submits a rolling submission to us. As we go through it and review it, that process will determine the timeline, as has been the case with other companies, such as Pfizer and Moderna.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sherry Romanado]

Thank you very much.

Our last round of questions goes to MP Davies.

You have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Lucas, did you have any meetings with any pharmaceutical companies in November and December to discuss their request to delay Patented Medicine Prices Review Board regulatory reform?

[Dr. Stephen Lucas]

Madam Chair, I did not have any such meetings.