AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) announced today that Ontario has listed VRAYLAR (cariprazine) on its provincial formulary as a General Benefit. The listing will be effective on October 31, 2024.
This listing is new step towards more equitable access to mental illness medication in Canada. As up to 90% of Canadians with serious mental illness are unemployed1, public plan coverage is critical for people to access the medications they need to manage their symptoms. VRAYLAR is already listed in Québec and by federal programs including Non-insured health benefits (NIHB), Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) for the treatment of schizophrenia.
This Ontario listing comes two months after Canada's Drug Agency (formerly CADTH) issued a reimbursement recommendation for VRAYLAR, and just days after AbbVie successfully reached an agreement with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) to bring this treatment option to people living with mental illness.
