On July 6, 2026 FORUS Therapeutics Inc ("FORUS"), a wholly owned subsidiary of PharmaEssentia Corp, reported that it has received a Notice of Compliance (NOC) authorizing BESREMI (ropeginterferon alfa-2b) for the treatment of adults with polycythemia vera (PV). BESREMI is expected to become commercially available in Canada in the coming weeks.
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Polycythemia vera is a rare, chronic blood cancer characterized by overproduction of red blood cells, which increases blood viscosity and can lead to serious complications, including thrombosis, stroke, myocardial infarction, and progression to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia.
"We are very pleased that Health Canada has approved BESREMI for the treatment of adults with polycythemia vera," said Ko-Chung Lin, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of PharmaEssentia. BESREMI is a next-generation interferon demonstrated to provide durable hematologic and molecular responses, reduced symptom burden, and a favorable safety and tolerability profile. We look forward to working closely with Canadian hematologists and other key stakeholders to make BESREMI available to patients living with PV across Canada.
"Polycythemia vera is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm that requires long-term management to reduce the risk of complications and control symptoms. The approval of BESREMI in Canada is an important and welcome development for patients living with PV and for the physicians who care for them," said Dr. Shireen Sirhan, President, Canadian Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Group; Vice-President (Research) , Quebec Research Group for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (GQR-LMC-NMP); Hematologist, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University Montreal. The availability of an interferon therapy specifically approved for PV has been long anticipated within the Canadian MPN community and represents a meaningful expansion of the treatment options available to patients. This approval reflects continued progress in the field and supports a more individualized approach to the management of PV.
(Press release, FORUS Therapeutics, JUL 6, 2026, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=forus-therapeutics-announces-health-canada-approval-of-besremi [SID1234669073])