Quebec first province to add Victoza to the drug benefit formulary

The Canadian subsidiary of Danish diabetes care giant Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) says that the Quebec government has approved the inclusion of Victoza (liraglutide), the first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue, to the Lists of Medications, effective June 2, 2014.

The reimbursement of Victoza by the Quebec Health Insurance Board (RAMQ) will allow people living with type 2 diabetes to have access to a treatment to help better manage diabetes. Quebec is the first province in Canada to provide public access to Victoza, which generated sales of over $2 billion in 2013 for the Danish group.

Effective June 2, Victoza is covered for eligible people in Quebec, in association with metformin, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes for those whose glycemic control is inadequate and whose body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30 kg/m2 when a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor is contraindicated, not tolerated or ineffective. Authorization for an initial request for treatment with Victoza is granted for a maximum of 12 months.