On March 28, the Canadian Common Drug Review (CDR) published its final recommendation for Lucentis and we are pleased to let you know that the recommendation was positive, overturning CDR's initial decision.

This is a good step forward for people with wet AMD in Canada. It means CDR is officially recommending that Canada's provincial and territorial health plans reimburse Lucentis, the first and only treatment clinically proven in many cases to restore vision lost as a result of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) a big change from CDR's initial negative recommendation.

Canada's two largest provinces, Ontario and Quebec, are already reimbursing Lucentis, and no doubt CanadaÕs remaining provinces and territories will begin reviewing Lucentis, and will include it in their own health plans without delay.

Although CDR's recommendation was positive, it also included suggested restrictions including that Lucentis should not be funded in combination with verteporfin (Visudyne another wet AMD treatment) and that drug plan coverage should be limited to a maximum of 15 vials per patient used to treat the better seeing affected eye. More information about the CDR decision is available at http://cadth.ca/index.php/en/cdr/search

Congratulations to a strong Canadian member CNIB for leading this successful grassroots campaign. This tremendous patient advocacy effort whill now benefit Canadians impacted by MD. We also express our gratitude to AMDAI members around the world for lending a strong support to the campaign and helped ensure that patients have access to sight-saving treatments no matter where they live.



Original article from 08.01.11

Right To Sight: Tens of thousands Canadians at risk of going blind unnecessarily.

AMDAI members and readers made a crucial difference in the lives of those with MD in the UK last year, and now we’re asking you to get involved to rectify a similarly terrible situation in Canada.

Our Canadian member, CNIB, advises that Canadian regulators recently rejected funding for a vision breakthrough - the only treatment proven to restore vision lost to AMD. Regulators have been asked to review this poor decision and will meet again on January 23rd to deliberate. We need to send a strong clear message that proven breakthrough treatments must be provided to all who would benefit.

ACT NOW! You must take action by January 23, 2008!

Click to listen to the Right to Sight radio commercial >

As you remember, the thousands of protest letters you sent to UK regulators last year helped reverse their ill advised recommendations to deny proven effective AMD treatment to 80 percent of patients. Thanks to your precious contribution to this international outcry, proven treatment is now widely available to AMD patients in England and Wales.


How can you help Canadians?

ACT NOW: Here’s what you must do by January 23, 2008.


1. Inform yourself - Press Release: download file  |   Backgrounder: download file

2. Send a protest letter through www.righttosight.ca

3. Join the CNIB protest group on Facebook: “10,000 Strong for the Right to Sight in Canada”. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9512210551

4. Ask your colleagues, friends and relatives, to join the protest.


By Mail, Telephone or Fax

Send a letter to, or call:


Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Health
Minister's Office - Health Canada
Brooke Claxton Building, Tunney's Pasture
Postal Locator: 0906C
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0K9

Phone: (613) 957-0200
Fax: (613) 952-1154

With a copy/call to:

Mr. Mike Tierney
Vice President, Common Drug Review
Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment
865 Carling Avenue
Suite 600
Ottawa, ON
K1S 5S8

Phone: (613) 226-2553
Fax: (613) 226-5392


download a sample letter