Elo Gauthier Lamothe, The Canadian Press
MONTREAL — Pharmaceutical company Mantra Pharma recently commercialized the first generic drug of the antibiotic CLAVULIN, offering a significant supply amid a shortage of pediatric medicines across Canada.
This compound product consisting of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid is generally used to treat bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections in children. No equivalent alternative to the reference medicine has been offered so far.
According to Maxime Deslauriers, vice president of scientific business development at Mantra Pharma, nearly 82,000 units were shipped to the Canadian market in November and December.
“In two months, we were able to meet half of normal Pan-Canadian demand. By the end of February, we hope to have put the equivalent of the entire market in the country on sale, which is around 200,000 units a year,” she said in an interview.
In development for four years, the M-Amoxi Clav was finally approved by Health Canada in 2022, which represents “the best of both worlds” for the company, Deslauriers said.
“The pharmacists were surprised, because it is a very effective product. It has also created a problem at the children’s hospital level, particularly with respiratory viruses that are on the rise across the country,” she said, adding that Mantra Pharma is “very proud” to support Canadians in times of uncertainty.
An unstable supply
GSK, the pharmaceutical company that produces the original drug, is currently grappling with “many problems,” said the vice president, which is helping to boost Mantra Pharma’s presence in the Canadian market.
“They have an intermittent supply and it doesn’t look like it will reduce any time soon. On the other hand, we are really in control of our supply chain and have been able to significantly increase the amount we could produce,” she said.
He added that the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) contacted the company at the dawn of the shortage, being “a little surprised” by the growing demand.
“They have transferred us the necessary quantities for the next few months and we will be able to help them,” assured Maxime Deslauriers.
Reached by email, the MSSS said demand for pediatric-size antibiotics has been strong since last fall, particularly due to the resurgence of viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. The ministry said it was working with its various partners to ensure that “an adequate supply of essential medicines” was maintained.
“In a context of shortages of some products, the MSSS is ensuring, with the collaboration of the heads of the pharmacy departments of the establishments and the government procurement center, to make strategic purchases to meet the demand in the coming months. For strategic reasons, we cannot provide further details,” the email reads.
While Mantra Pharma operates primarily in Quebec, it is keen to expand the availability of M-Amoxi Clav throughout the country, particularly in areas severely affected by pediatric drug shortages.
Established in Quebec since 2006, the pharmaceutical company aims to create more generic drugs in the future, as well as distinguish itself from many competitors in the industry.
“If there are fifteen companies working on the same molecules and we all have to sell them at the same price, it’s hard to find a place for ourselves,” said Deslauriers. […] We want to focus our efforts on developing the first generics, trying to find the small product that maybe is despised by some big companies.
Mantra Pharma develops and markets generic drugs, natural health products and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, as well as distributes its own brand names in pharmacies in Quebec and Canada.
“We do not have therapeutic fields dedicated to Mantra, we go where there is an opportunity,” summarized Maxime Deslauriers.
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This article was produced with financial support from Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.
