Below is contact information for the Minister of Health, a link to find your local MP and a sample letter to send your MP.
Email
Federal
Minister of Health - Leona Aglukkaq
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, P.C., M.P.
Health Canada
Brooke Claxton Building, Tunney's Pasture
Postal Locator: 0906C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Please also contact your MP. To find your MP, click here: Find Your MP!
Click below to download a sample letter in MS Word.
Sample letter to the Minister of Health.
Dear Minister,
On July 6th, Eli Lilly announced it was pulling four different types of insulin, including the last two remaining types of natural animal insulin. In February 2003 Julia Hill, then-Director General of the Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate, acknowledged on behalf of the Government of Canada that "there very clearly are Canadians who need animal-sourced insulins to manage their diabetes. We have no doubt about that at all...The current science knowledge does not really enable us to understand why the synthetic insulins or the human insulins do not work as well for some people as do the animal insulins, but clearly that is the case..."
Eli Lilly and Health Canada have stated that a company based in the United Kingdom called Wockhardt has applied for permission to sell pork insulin in Canada. Eli Lilly says its supplies will be available until April 2006; Health Canada says it isn't sure whether Wockhardt's application will be approved before Lilly runs out of pork insulin. It's great that Wockhardt has applied for permission to market pork insulin but Health Canada needs to guarantee that animal insulin will be available without interruption and at no added cost. Also, why not allow Wockhardt to market beef as well as pork insulin? Many people would prefer beef insulin.
I am writing to urge you as Minister to Health to implement the June 2003 recommendation of the Standing Committee on Health regarding a national strategy for animal insulin. The Standing Committee recommended such a strategy to be developed with the US Food & Drug Administration. However, since the FDA appears uninterested in pursuing discussions we are calling on you to direct our own national regulatory authorities to consult broadly with Canadians, excluding insulin manufacturers, on this issue. It is vital that Canadians have a national strategy to support access to safe, affordable and effective insulins, including natural animal insulin.
While the availability of animal insulin is an urgent issue, I am concerned about the pattern that has emerged about all insulin types. During the past decade there have been more than 30 different types of insulin withdrawn, not one for clinical reasons. Insulin manufacturers are the ones who decide what insulins will be available, at what price and for how long. We need a strategy that puts the interest of people with diabetes first. Health Canada and the Minister of Health should develop a national animal insulin strategy.
I want a made-in-Canada policy for a made-in-Canada insulin and hope you will take immediate steps to develop a national insulin strategy for all insulin-dependent diabetics, including those who must have access to affordable animal insulin.
Yours very truly,
Your Name
c.c. Your Member of Parliament
c.c. Society for Diabetic Rights