What Is HTA?
HTA stands for Health Technology Assessment.
It’s required before any new lymphoma or CLL therapy can be publicly funded.
HTA evaluates:
- Clinical benefits
- Patient quality-of-life impact
- Cost-effectiveness
HTA directly impacts who can access new therapies and when.
Why the Patient Voice Matters?
Clinical trial data alone does not fully capture what it means to live with lymphoma or CLL.
Patient input helps decision-makers understand:
- Symptoms that matter most to patients
- Side effects that affect daily life, work, and caregiving
- Treatment burdens (frequency, travel, monitoring)
- Trade-offs patients are willing – or unwilling – to make
- Gaps and unmet needs in current care
Without patient input, important real-world impacts may be missed.
Lymphoma Canada’s Commitment
We participate in 100% of HTA submissions for:
- New therapies and indications: Assessments of new treatments and existing therapies for new patient populations or lines of care
- Draft recommendations: Opportunities to provide input on preliminary funding decisions before they are finalized
- Resubmissions: Subsequent reviews of therapies following new evidence, revised pricing, or updated conditions
- Provincial Funding Algorithms (PFAs): Provincial frameworks that determine patient eligibility and real-world access to publicly funded treatments
In every submission, we ensure:
- Patient stories are included
- Clinician input is shared
- Real-world experiences are heard
- Recommendations reflect patient needs
How a Patient Submission Is Created
Creating a patient submission involves a structured process, outlined below, that reflects real-world patient experiences and clinical expertise.
- Collect patient insights (surveys, interviews)
- Gather clinician perspectives
- Analyze disease impact & treatment needs
- Write national patient submission
- Share directly to the Canadian Drug Agency (CDA) and the Quebec equivalent, INESSS
The Impact: Accelerating Access to New Therapies
Lymphoma Canada’s participation in patient submissions has already helped:
- Strengthen the case for publicly funding innovative treatments
- Ensure equitable access across provinces
- Highlight unmet needs in subtypes such as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL), Follicular Lymphoma (FL), Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia (WM), Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL)
- Support approvals of novel therapies including targeted agents, cellular therapies, and bispecific antibodies
By bringing forward patient stories, needs, and priorities, Lymphoma Canada helps shape the funding landscape and supports the introduction of new therapies that can improve survival, reduce treatment burden, and offer more hope for patients and families.
Current Opportunities to Participate
The therapy that will soon be reviewed by the CDA is:
- Tafasitamab (Minjuvi) in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
You do not need to live in Canada to complete this survey. You can still participate in this survey if you are a DLBCL patient who has not received this therapy.
By completing this survey, you are part of the process that may help patients gain access to this treatment in canada.
TAKE THE SURVEY
Support Our Advocacy
HTA advocacy helps support timely and equitable access to new lymphoma and CLL treatments across Canada. Patient input strengthens funding recommendations and ensures decisions reflect real-world experiences.
This advocacy work is made possible through donor support.
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