Addressing the global Pegasys® shortage

When the original manufacturer sold the rights to a new company in 2017, they had stockpiled what was predicted to be a 10-year global supply. This was done in order to allow the new manufacturer time to establish the new line. Due to increased demand across many diseases, the stockpile has run out much earlier than anticipated. 

There is a very limited supply of Pegasys® in Canada.  If you are experiencing difficulty filling your prescription, you should work with your doctor and pharmacist to find a pharmacy with supply and ask them to initiate a pharmacy to pharmacy transfer. 

When the original manufacturer sold the rights to a new company in 2017, they had stockpiled what was predicted to be a 10-year global supply. This was done in order to allow the new manufacturer time to establish the new line. Due to increased demand across many diseases, the stockpile has run out much earlier than anticipated. 

There is still a limited supply of Pegasys® in Canada.  If you are experiencing difficulty filling your prescription, you should work with your doctor and pharmacist to find a pharmacy with supply and ask them to initiate a pharmacy to pharmacy transfer.

Contact your specialist and he/she will work with you to develop a plan. There is still limited supply of Pegagys® in Canada. You should work with your doctor and pharmacist to find a pharmacy with supply and ask them to initiate a pharmacy to pharmacy transfer. 

BESREMi® is ropeginterferon and it has received Exceptional Importation status from Health Canada and will be imported into Canada to address the Pegasys® shortage.

Exceptional importation does not equal what we traditionally consider to be Health Canada approval. Exceptional Importation is a process that can be used to address a shortage. It allows a drug to be imported from a foreign market but has been manufactured according to quality standards similar to those required in Canada. It still undergoes a rigorous review to ensure safety. They are only permitted to be imported for sale for a limited period of time in order to address the shortage. Health Canada approval is a review process that allows for a treatment to be sold and marketed in Canada. There is no time restriction on how long the treatment can be sold in Canada.

As of February 11, 2025, Health Canada has granted exceptional importation status to BESREMi®. Meetings are planned with the provinces and territories to work out how BESREMi® will be reimbursed and distributed. The clinician community has also been working on guidance and plans to safely switch their patients onto BESREMi®. 

Yes. BESREMi® will be available to you regardless of the form of MPN you have. Speak to your doctor to formulate a plan that is suitable for you. 

It is important to talk to your doctor to develop a plan that is suitable for you. We encourage you to talk to your medical team. 

We understand the anxiety the Pegasys® shortage has caused. BESREMi® has received Exceptional Importation status and we are all working with the provinces and territories on reimbursement and distribution. In the meantime, there is still limited supply of Pegasys® in Canada. Talk to you doctor to develop a plan.