Health Canada Approves Breast Cancer Drug After Joint Review

Canadian regulators approved Eli Lilly’s Verzenio (abemaciclib) for treatment of metastatic breast cancer in a joint review with their Australian counterparts—the first drug to win Canadian approval under a new work-sharing initiative that pools the resources of smaller countries.

Health Canada teamed up with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration as part of the consortium that also includes Singapore and Switzerland. The aim of the consortium is to make smaller countries more attractive markets for drug companies and to speed review of life-saving drugs.

Verzenio was already approved in the U.S. and Japan for treatment of metastatic breast cancer.