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Joel Lexchin

Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, Emergency Physician at University Health Network, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto

Dr. Lexchin has been writing and publishing about pharmaceutical policy issues for the past 30 years. He is the author or co-author of over 140 peer-reviewed papers on a wide range of topics in this area, including: drug regulation, pharmacosurveillance, drug promotion, research and development, access to medications in developing countries and physician prescribing behaviour. He has been a consultant on these and other issues to the Ontario provincial government, various parts of the Canadian federal government, the government of New Zealand, the Australian National Prescribing Service and the World Health Organization.

High drug prices in Canada are just one side of a bad equation

Jul 18, 2023 07:59 am UTC| Insights & Views

The Canadian health-care system is under pressure as service levels decline while costs escalate. Drugs are one of our largest health-care expenditures. A federal agency, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB),...

Opioid marketing to Canadian doctors hyped benefits, downplayed harms

Mar 10, 2020 11:54 am UTC| Health

Between January 2016 and June 2019 there were over 13,900 deaths from opioid overdoses in Canada, 4,500 of which occurred in 2018. Based on information to date, 2019 is likely to have a similar mortality rate. Most deaths...

Leave the patchwork to the quilts: The case for pharmacare

Aug 26, 2019 04:23 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

On August 15, 2019, more than 1,200 academics, including me, with expertise in health care signed a letter to the leaders of Canadas federal political parties. The letter called on them to commit to a national pharmacare...

Health Canada and Big Pharma: Too close for comfort

Aug 15, 2019 17:54 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business

Over the past few decades its become common practice for drug companies and drug regulators, such as Health Canada, to sit down together at what are called pre-submission meetings. These are get-togethers where both...

Why Big Pharma must disclose payments to patient groups

Jan 14, 2019 10:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Health Business Law

A United States congressional report revealed last year that five opioid manufacturers made more than $10 million in payments to patient advocacy groups and professional societies between 2012 and 2017. Initiatives from...

We need answers to the thalidomide tragedy – to ensure drug safety today

Oct 28, 2018 13:25 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

In 2015, after decades of fruitless lobbying, Canadian survivors of thalidomide finally received compensation from the federal government. The drug was a supposedly mild sleeping pill, a wonder drug that helped pregnant...

NAFTA negotiations may threaten pharmacare

Sep 10, 2018 13:50 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Around 91 per cent of Canadians want a national pharmacare plan, according to a recent national poll, so they dont have to choose between buying groceries or paying for drugs to keep them healthy. The same public...

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Economy

US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions

U.S. consumer inflation likely eased in June, but economists say the slowdown may provide little relief for households or significantly reduce the likelihood of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this year,...

South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index

South Koreas KOSPI has entered a bear market after falling about 25% from its record high reached in late June, highlighting the sharp reversal of one of the worlds strongest equity rallies. Despite the decline, the...

Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data

The Japanese yen held steady on Tuesday as investors remained alert to the possibility of currency intervention from Tokyo, while most Asian currencies traded in narrow ranges ahead of closely watched U.S. inflation data...

China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts

Chinas exports and imports grew far more than expected in June, highlighting the resilience of the countrys trade sector as strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related products and technology goods helped...

Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery

Goldman Sachs believes foreign investors could become the key catalyst for Indias next stock market rally after months of heavy selling left global funds significantly underweight on Indian equities. Improving...

Politics

Trump Administration Bars U.S. Travelers From Congo Flights Amid Ebola Outbreak

The Trump administration has imposed new travel restrictions on American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the country faces a worsening Ebola outbreak, according to a White House official. Under the...

Iranian Missile Strike on UAE Oil Tankers Kills Indian Crew Member in Strait of Hormuz

An Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured after two United Arab Emirates oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, marking another major escalation in the...

Trump Recommends Darline Graham for Interim South Carolina Senate Seat

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has recommended Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, to serve as South Carolinas interim U.S. senator, urging Governor Henry McMaster to...

Brazil Court Bars Flavio Bolsonaro From Visiting Jair Bolsonaro Ahead of Election

Brazils political landscape took another dramatic turn after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes barred Senator Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, for 90 days, citing a...

Trump to Deliver National Address on Declassified 2020 Election Intelligence

President Donald Trump is set to deliver a televised national address on Thursday night focused on newly declassified intelligence concerning investigations into the 2020 U.S. election and what the White House describes as...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Yaskawa Electric Shares Slide as Weak Profit Overshadows Strong AI Demand

Yaskawa Electric Corp. (TYO:6506) shares extended losses for a second consecutive session on Tuesday after the Japanese robotics and factory automation company reported weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings, with...

Australia Flags Child Safety Gaps at Apple, Meta, Google Over Online Sexual Extortion

Australias online safety regulator has warned that major technology companies, including Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Snap, still have significant shortcomings in tackling child sexual abuse and the rising threat of...

SoftBank Corp Partners With Sierra to Expand AI Customer Support Across Japan

SoftBank Corp (TYO:9434) announced on Tuesday a strategic partnership with AI startup Sierra to expand artificial intelligence-powered customer support services across its operations in Japan, marking another step in the...

Nvidia Tightens AI Chip Sales in Asia With Stricter Customer Approval Process

Nvidia has reportedly tightened its controls over AI chip sales in Asia by significantly reducing the number of customers authorized to purchase its advanced processors, according to a Financial Times report published...

EU to Propose New Rules Limiting Children's Access to Social Media

The European Commission is preparing to introduce new rules aimed at limiting childrens access to social media platforms, with a formal proposal expected after the summer break, European Commission President Ursula von der...