Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada Celebrates Five Years in Canada Supporting And Committed To People Living With ALS
~ Company’s legacy includes first new treatment option for patients with ALS in Canada in almost 20 years ~
TORONTO, ON, November 29, 2023 – Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA) is proud to commemorate the company’s fifth year operating in Canada. Since its inception in 2018, MTP-CA has been at the forefront of advancing scientific innovation and improving access to treatment for Canadians with serious and life-threatening diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a rapidly progressive, neurodegenerative disease.¹ A key milestone in the company’s legacy in Canada was the 2018 Health Canada approval of the first new treatment option for patients with ALS in nearly 20 years.² In 2022, following a Priority Review by Health Canada, MTP-CA introduced an oral suspension version of its drug that is formulated with the challenges of people living with ALS in mind.
“Over the past five years, our unwavering patient-first philosophy and commitment to tackling the toughest challenges in medicine has led to the successful introduction of two new treatment options for Canadians living with ALS,” said Andy Zylak, President, MTP-CA. “Reaching this important milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our exceptional team, and the support of the ALS community, who are at the centre of everything we do.”
MTP-CA is the Canadian affiliate of Japan-based company Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC), one of the world’s oldest pharmaceutical companies, leading the discovery and development of innovative therapies. Since being established in Canada, MTP-CA has fostered strong relationships within the ALS community through significant investments and partnerships, including advocacy, education, awareness, research and innovation.
“MTP-CA has a strong history of supporting the ALS community through participation in local fundraising events and sponsoring important initiatives, including the ALS Research Forum and Fellowship programs,” said Tammy Moore, CEO, ALS Society of Canada. “We are grateful for their partnership and their work in advancing the discussion on timely and equitable access to therapies on behalf of people living with ALS and their work to help shorten the time to diagnosis.”
During the past five years, MTP-CA has also invested heavily in research and development projects, including forward-thinking health solutions so that patients may access therapies earlier on in their disease, collaborations with partners in the ecosystem to generate real-world evidence (RWE) and one-of-a-kind solutions to help advance the clinical practices of healthcare professionals (HCPs). Some of the company’s recent accomplishments include:
- How to Break the News in ALS/MND: A Primer for Physicians and Allied Health Professionals – supported by MTP-CA and developed by an expert steering committee, led by Angela Genge, MD, Executive Director, ALS Centre of Excellence at The Neuro in Montreal, this program aims to help HCPs better understand the impact that delivering news of an ALS or motor neuron disease (MND) diagnosis can have on patients, caregivers, and on HCPs themselves.³
- Process for Progress in ALS: An EMR-based practice enhancement initiative – an important new artificial intelligence (AI) program designed to analyze de-identified electronic medical records (EMRs) and identify individuals for which follow-up investigations for ALS or referral to a specialty centre may be clinically appropriate. The cutting-edge technology*, developed by Ensho Health, aims to improve early detection of ALS and support HCPs in making timely decisions. The program is a collaboration between MTP-CA and the program’s Steering Committee: Dr. Angela Genge, Executive Director, Clinical Research Unit at The Neuro in Montreal, Dr. Amer A. Ghavanini, Division Head of Neurology, Trillium Health Partners, and Dr. Amanda Fiander, Neurologist at Maritime Neurology.⁴
- Real-World Evidence Study: MTP-CA is collaborating with the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR), an independent, academic registry based out of the University of
Calgary, on the first Canadian RWE generation study of MTP-CA’s ALS drug. The study aims to collect valuable real-world data on the role of the drug in the treatment of ALS and uncover insights that will ultimately benefit people living with ALS and their families.⁵
“We are proud of our accomplishments over the past five-years, and we remain committed to fighting for the ALS community in Canada by continuing to pursue scientific innovation and improving access to treatments,” added Zylak. “As we look towards the future, we will continue to build on our legacy by seeking new solutions for other difficult to treat neurological diseases and conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury.”
*The MNd-5 algorithm is a process for converting input parameters to a likelihood estimate. It is deployed at the Toronto, Canada data lab of Ensho Health through the MNd-5 CDL Module (“CDL Module”). The CDL Module is comprised of the MNd-5 Likelihood Estimator (“Likelihood Estimator”) which encodes it in software and a graphical user interface called the MNd-5 Controller (“Controller”). The CDL Module was developed to the ISO 13485:2016 standard for medical devices in compliance with Ensho’s Quality Management System. The MNd-5 CDL Module is registered as medical device software in Canada under the Medical Device Establishment License of Ensho Health (license 16208). The software that encodes the MNd-5 algorithm and applies it to EHR data is Class I medical device software in Canada developed and deployed under the Medical Device Establishment License of Ensho Health.
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About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc.
Based in Toronto, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc. (MTP-CA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) with a goal to provide therapies for some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases, including ALS. For more information, please visit mtpa-ca.staging.ascenderstudios.com.
About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.
Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC). It was established by MTPC to develop and advance our pipeline as well as commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Inquiries:
Media_MTPA@mt-pharma-us.com