ABBV AbbVie Inc

MONTREAL, Oct. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - 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.

About VRAYLAR^® (cariprazine)²   
VRAYLAR is an oral, once daily atypical antipsychotic approved as monotherapy for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, as well as the acute management of manic, mixed, and depressive episodes associated with bipolar l disorder in adults. In controlled clinical trials, VRAYLAR was found to improve both positive and negative symptoms.

The mechanism of action of VRAYLAR in schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder is unknown. However, the therapeutic effect of VRAYLAR may be mediated through a combination of partial agonist activity at central dopamine D3, D2 and serotonin 5-HT1A receptors and antagonist activity at 5-HT2A receptors. VRAYLAR forms two major metabolites, desmethyl cariprazine (DCAR) and didesmethyl cariprazine (DDCAR), that have in vitro receptor binding and functional activity profiles similar to the parent drug.

VRAYLAR is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to cariprazine or to any ingredient in the formulation, including any non-medicinal ingredient, or component of the container. VRAYLAR is also contraindicated with concomitant use with strong and moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors / inducers. Due to the slow elimination of cariprazine and its metabolites, treatment with strong and moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors must be initiated at least 2 weeks after VRAYLAR discontinuation.

VRAYLAR is being developed jointly by AbbVie and Gedeon Richter Plc, with AbbVie responsible for commercialization in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Taiwan and certain Latin American countries (including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela).

Please consult the VRAYLAR Product Monograph at www.abbvie.ca.

About AbbVie in Mental Health
AbbVie is driving the pursuit of better mental health. Over the last 30 years, the company's scientists and clinicians have worked to tackle the complexity of mental illness and today offer a portfolio of medicines and a pipeline of innovation that spans depression, anxiety, bipolar I disorder, and schizophrenia.

About AbbVie 
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca. Follow AbbVie Canada on Twitter, on Instagram or find us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE AbbVie Canada