Although this may appear as “another commercial press release from a drug company”, this goes a little bit deeper for WM patients in Canada. Beigene, having received priority status with Health Canada, is pursuing their approval for its 2nd-generation BTK-inhibitor, Zanubrutinib (Brukinsa®), for the treatment of WM. Once Health Canada’s review is complete, and assuming it is accepted, then Zanubrutinib would be on the same footing for WM patients in Canada as Ibrutinib. Beigene will then apply to pCODR (see our very brief explanation of How Cancer Drugs Are Approved and Funded in Canada on our Canadian Questions Page), seeking a recommendation that provinces include it in their funded drug formulary. If all of this is successful, this would finally make a BTK inhibitor more widely available to Canadians, and potentially paid for by the provinces.