Highlights
- Our team was involved in research assessing opioid agonist treatment dispensing in Canada through the Post Market Drug Evaluation Program at Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC). This work was recognized as an Editor’s Choice Article by the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. We couldn’t be more proud!
- The Alberta Real World Evidence Consortium (ARWEC) welcomed Dr. Elsa Hansen who joined our team in March as Project Lead, Research.
- Dr. Karen Martins represented ARWEC at the CDA-AMC Symposium, April 22 – 24, 2026 in Ottawa.
- Dr. Scott Klarenbach presented at the Innovative Medicines Canada Stakeholders Day, on May 12 in Edmonton on behalf of ARWEC.
Sponsorship Spotlight: CDA-AMC Symposium 2026
ARWEC was proud to serve as a Bronze Sponsor of the CDA-AMC 2026 Symposium, held April 22–24 in Ottawa. Dr. Karen Martins represented ARWEC at this premier health care and policy event, connecting with thought leaders in health technology assessment and evidence-based decision-making from across Canada and internationally.
This year’s theme — Evidence, Engagement, and Systems — aligned closely with ARWEC’s mission, and the symposium offered rich programming on RWE, health technology assessment methods, precision medicine, and the role of artificial intelligence in health system decision-making.
Project Spotlight: Eligibility for Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Among Adults With an Acute Care COVID-19 Encounter: A Retrospective Cohort Study From Alberta, Canada
Study Summary: Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) is an oral antiviral medication used for treating COVID-19 in the outpatient setting. This drug has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalization and death in people at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease.
This ARWEC study examined the characteristics of adults who had an acute care COVID-19 encounter to assess how many were medically eligible for, but did not receive, this treatment beforehand. Such insights can guide strategies to improve treatment access and use, thereby reducing serious COVID-19 related outcomes and attendant health system burden.
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IMC Stakeholders Day Edmonton
Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) hosted a Stakeholder Day in Edmonton on May 12, bringing together pharmaceutical companies in Canada, end users, and provincial leaders.
Dr. Scott Klarenbach (ARWEC) was part of a panel alongside Dr. Neesh Pannu, Co-Lead AI + Health Hub, University of Alberta, and Quinn Mah, Assistant Deputy Minister, Information and Technology at Alberta Primary and Preventive Health Services.
The dialogue highlighted the rich data assets in Alberta, the importance of data access, and the value of social license (i.e. taking the public with you), in the broader conversation of advancing the use of health data and AI to improve care, system learning and healthcare sustainability.
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