Prolastin-C and Glassia

On July 15, 2024, PharmaCare will stop covering alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (Prolastin-C) for new patients, as Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has added the alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor Glassia to their formulary. Starting July 15, new patients will not receive PharmaCare coverage for Prolastin-C.

Transitional coverage will be available for up to 6 months for existing Prolastin-C patients, to January 14, 2025. Please meet with your patients as soon as possible to help them transition from Prolastin-C to Glassia. Submit the Prolastin-C Patient List Request form (PDF, 991KB) to receive the names of patients who have filled a prescription Prolastin-C in the last 6 months, where you are the prescriber.

To secure Glassia for patients, prescribers must submit to CBS the Request for Patient Designated Plasma Protein and Related Products form (PDF, 363KB) to show that the patient meets eligibility criteria and to record their informed consent to receive a blood product. If the patient is approved, CBS will initiate patient support.

CBS provides Glassia at no cost to patients. CBS will deliver the plasma-derived product to transfusion medicine laboratories for patient pick-up. Glassia is not dispensed through community pharmacies.

Prolastin-C transition to Glassia timeline

Key steps for prescribers

1. Submit the Prolastin-C Patient List Request form (PDF, 140KB) for a list of patients to contact

2. Meet with patients and submit the CBS Request for Patient Designated PPRP form (PDF, 363KB)

3. CBS initiates patient support

CBS eligibility criteria for Glassia

Glassia can be requested for adult patients with severe A1-PI deficiency and clinical evidence of emphysema who meet the following criteria*:

• Respirologist has confirmed the diagnosis of severe A1-PI deficiency and clinical evidence of emphysema and indicated that patient would benefit from treatment with A1- PI product
• A1-PI deficiency, defined as serum A1-PI levels < 57 mg/dL before start of the treatment
• Clinical evidence of obstruction (FEV1)  </or equal than 80%
• Patients must be nonsmokers for at least 6 months
• Patients have not received a lung transplant

CBS will consider exceptional requests from prescribers for Glassia for new patients who do not meet the above criteria on a case-by-case basis.

Some B.C. patients who are currently accessing Prolastin-C through PharmaCare may not meet the CBS criteria for Glassia. Their prescribers must request exceptional access from CBS, which can be approved by a Blood Services unit director through a specially designed legacy process (i.e., verification they already received Prolastin-C through PharmaCare).

Patient support

The Glassia patient support program OnePath is determining where patients will receive Glassia. For questions about OnePath, contact support@onepathprogram or call 1-844-691-7284.

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