There has been an increased use of freeze-drying in the pharmaceutical industry over the past few decades. This step converts a liquid product into a solid one without compromising its integrity, thus prolonging its shelf life. The monitoring and optimization of this process is commonly done by trial-and-error, leading to product quality control issues. Therefore, the implementation of new monitoring tools in this process could allow a better understanding and control.

This project will refine an existent technology developed by us for freeze-drying biological and medical solutions to produce powders. Freeze-dried bio-medical powders are used in pharmaceuticals as well as for food. The technology we will refine in this project is called atmospheric spray freeze drying (ASFD) and has the potential to be faster and more economical than current methods and to work for a wider variety of substances than allowed for by current methods. In this project, we will refine the monitoring and control components of the ADFD technology.

NATURE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
Patients who suffer from addiction to opioids often experience depression. Furthermore, data concerning the use of effective medication to treat depression in patients addicted to opioids is insufficient. Desvenlafaxine is an antidepressant that has been approved in Canada to treat depression within the general population.

Decision-making frameworks for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) have become a major topic in developed nations in recent years. Indeed, the quest for more rational and transparent HTA decision led many jurisdictions to investigate the use of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) as an alternative decision-making framework. In Canada, the development of a MCDA framework for HTA decision-making is in its infancy. Indeed, to our knowledge, only one MCDA framework has been proposed and tested in the country.

Providence Healthcare has established a reputation as one of the leading centres for cardiovascular research and treatment in Canada. Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals Canada is a major provider of pharmaceuticals used in cardiovascular treatment, and has an active research agenda aimed at improving the effectiveness of non]invasive diagnosis and treatment in this field. Pfizer and Providence Healthcare are collaborating on this research in order to develop more effective pharmacological treatments for atherosclerosis.

This project will profile the use of new drugs of rheumatoid arthritis, in a population-based sample. Potential differences in the use of these agents will be examined to identify discrepancies in drug use patterns across demographics, which could be addressed through targeted strategies. Our proposal is timely in terms of increasing attention on the part of policy-makers regarding "better, more coordinated evaluation of drug safety and effectiveness" and targeted intitiatives to increase knowledge about the safety and effectiveness of drugs in population-based samples.

Pharmaceuticals are among the most commonly used and important healthcare treatments in Canada. Third party healthcare payers, such as provincial departments of health and private insurers such as Blue Cross and Green Shield, use a variety of tools and techniques to balance the access, cost and quality of medications. Collectively, these tools and techniques are known as drug policies and they include things such as formulary restrictions, prior authorization forms and patient co-payments and deductibles.