Latest news with #Pollock
Vancouver Sun
21 hours ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. premier calls for overhaul of government drug approval process after 10 resignations from rare disease committee
The NDP may be on the verge of blowing up B.C.'s process for drug approvals after 10 experts resigned from the province's committee for expensive drugs after the government rejected its recommendation to top covering treatment for a 10-year-old dealing with a rare illness. Premier David Eby told reporters during an unrelated announcement on Monday in Vancouver that it is obvious the system isn't working and that there needs to be some changes to improve transparency and to better serve the public when it comes to the expensive drugs for rare diseases committee. He said he understands people's frustration that there is an independent body that makes recommendations on drug coverage but that doesn't have to defend its recommendations to the public. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'The current structure of a committee that doesn't speak to the media, doesn't speak to the public, makes decisions privately, only speaks to the treating physician, even then only through the Ministry of Health, resulted in a scenario where it appeared as though what was happening was the exact opposite of what anybody wants, which is that politicians were making decisions about access to medicine,' said Eby. 'We have to figure out a way that works for the doctors and experts advising on whether or not a particular patient should receive a particular treatment, and we need to make sure that it works in a way that it's the experts that are making those decisions, and that that is taking place in a way that's transparent and understandable to the public.' Experts on the 58-member expensive drugs for rare diseases committee had recommended the government cut off funding for Brineura, the drug prescribed to Charleigh Pollock, a 10 year-old Vancouver Island girl who is the only person in the province diagnosed with the rare degenerative brain condition known as Batten disease. In their recommendation, the subcommittee dealing with Pollock's case pointed to the review of Brineura by Canada's Drug Agency, which found evidence that the drug is effective in extending the lives of patients and in reducing symptoms such as seizures was inconclusive. It also argued that Pollock was in an advanced stage of Batten disease and Brineura would no longer help her. An advisory board made up of all the chairs of the subcommittees, as well as outside specialists in health ethics, health economics and other fields, backed up the subcommittee 's recommendation and the government officially announced it was revoking coverage last month. Jori Fales, Pollock's mother, disputed the finding, stating that she had seen with her own eyes how Brineura helped improve her daughter's quality of life and that, without it, she was worried Charleigh's condition would rapidly decline. After a public outcry, advocacy from Fales and a letter from 13 American experts, Health Minister Josie Osborne reversed the decision and restored funding of the drug for Pollock on July 17. The Ministry of Health confirmed 10 members of the expensive drugs for rare diseases committee have now resigned. That's a doubling since last week when the ministry stated there had been five resignations. Dr. Sandra Sirrs, who resigned as chair of the subcommittee that made the decision in Pollock's case, told Postmedia last week that the committee process had been undermined by the NDP's political calculations and that she isn't sure if it will survive the resignations. 'To see this process dragged through the mud, I don't even know whether the process will survive this,' she said. Sirrs would not comment on Eby's latest comments. In a statement, Osborne said she has asked the ministry to review the expensive drugs for rare diseases process to 'identify opportunities for improvement.' 'We also recognize the need to increase public understanding of how the … process works. Greater transparency can help build trust and ensure that patients and families feel heard and informed as decisions are made,' said the minister. alazenby@
Extra.ie
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Watch: Lions fans slam 'stupid' Pollock after igniting fight
The British and Irish Lions just about got the job done on Tuesday after narrowly beating First Nations & Pasifika XV 19-24 in Melbourne. Leinster back Jamie Osborne was one of the highlights in a lacklustre performance after scoring two tries in his first Lions appearance. However, there was a brief moment in the first-half that caught fans' eyes when England's Henry Pollock found himself in a pushing and shoving match with FNP's second try-scorer Seru Uru. Henry Pollock's antics got mixed reactions on social media. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile The WWE-style fight was very much ignited by the Lions man but fans believe there was a bit of regret in his eyes before he was wiped out by the Fijian-born Australian flanker. Fans took to social media to slam Henry over his 'childish' antics that led to him getting thrown to the floor. One fan wrote: 'I know who I fancy in a scrap and it isn't the posh 20 year old public school boy.' Another added: 'Lucky the referee was there to stop Pollock getting taught a real lesson.' A third commented: 'Sooner or later Pollock is going to be laid out. That boy consistently bites off more than he can chew. To loosely quote Top Gun: 'His ego is writing cheques his body can't cash'. Tick tick on that.' Yet another said: 'Pollock yet to learn an important life lesson, no matter how hard you think you are there's always someone harder out there.' Henry Pollock and Sere Uru getting to know each other a little better 😅 — Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) July 22, 2025 However, it wasn't all negativity being thrown at the young player online. One supporter shared: 'The comments are embarrassing. You are meant to support your team.' Another remarked: 'There was a moment in that schmozzle where Pollock's life literally flashed before his eyes. In fairness to him, after the initial shock, he doubled down and fought back.' There was a TMO review of the incident but the referee decided that a lecture was enough for the pair of them.
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Peak developers embrace friendslop genre as co-op game reaches players seeking simple fun
Peak has emerged as a notable entry in the 'friendslop' genre, with developers Aggro Crab and Landfall creating the co-op game in about a month. The game has reached over 100,000 concurrent players, according to the developers, who said it was designed to be 'something that's simple and fun.' The term friendslop, discussed by Aggro Crab developer Caelan Pollock, refers to games that rely on players and their friends to generate humour and interaction. Pollock explained, 'When I hear the term friendslop, I think it's something that assumes that you and your friends will make up the difference in comedy and interaction in what the game is lacking.' Pollock also described how the collaboration with Landfall came about, explaining that the teams were 'fast friends' and developed Peak after an idea was 'originally pitched in a hot tub in Sweden.' The developers noted the game's title, Peak, came from discussions among the team, with Pollock adding, 'Even minus the joke, I think it's a great name for the game.' Fan reviews online have highlighted Peak's accessibility, praising it for creating moments of humour and enjoyment during play sessions while maintaining a low barrier to entry. Players have described it as 'fun with friends without overcomplication' and 'a game that lets you create your own moments.' Peak demonstrates the potential of smaller-scale projects to find an audience, with developers highlighting their priority of enjoyment over large-scale production goals.
Vancouver Sun
18-07-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. backtracks and restores rare drug coverage for 10-year-old Charleigh Pollock
In a dramatic reversal of a controversial announcement last month, the B.C. Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that it would reinstate the drug coverage for 10-year-old Charleigh Pollock, a girl on Vancouver Island who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative degeneration called Batten disease. Pollock was denied continuing coverage for treatment last month of the fatal disease , with the government citing the cost of the drug Brineura — reportedly costing $1M per year — in its decision. But pressure quickly mounted on the provincial government as it was learned the Langford native was the lone child in Canada to be denied coverage for the drug, and after a dozen experts of the disease signed a letter to Premier David Eby and Health Minister Josie Osborne, the government reversed course Thursday. The government had previously argued that the decision was guided by an expert-driven process 'that is essential to providing fair treatment to all patients.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I spoke to Charleigh's family earlier this evening. I confirmed to them that I have reinstated Charleigh's Brineura coverage and that coverage will be available to them for as long as the treating physician and the family deem it appropriate,' Osborne said in a statement. 'I continue to strongly believe that decisions about care should be made by health experts to ensure they are based on the best available evidence. The letter I received today from Batten disease experts confirms there is significant disagreement between health experts on Brineura, and it is not acceptable that Charleigh and her family suffer as a result of that disagreement about the use of Brineura for Batten Disease.' Brineura is intended to slow — but cannot stop — the decline in patients' ability to walk and talk until they reach the end stage of the disease. After funding was cut off, a crowdfunding effort raised $69,892 for Pollock , allowing her to receive her first infusion on Thursday at Victoria General Hospital.
Irish Examiner
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Maro Itoje: 'We are all trying to strive to being the best team we can be and get that 3-0 win'
Tour captain Maro Itoje has endorsed Henry Pollock's assertion that the British & Irish Lions can whitewash the Australians in the upcoming Test series, suggesting it would be wrong to think any differently. Pollock, the youngest and least experienced player in the 2025 Lions squad at 20 years old and with just one England cap, has attracted headlines in Britain, Ireland and Australia after post-match comments following the 48-0 victory over an AUSNZ Invitational XV in Adelaide last Saturday that a 3-0 series win over the Wallabies was 'definitely on the table' for the tourists. The Northampton Saints back-rower, who is in the selection conversation for the blindside flanker vacancy in Andy Farrell's team for the first Test in Brisbane this Saturday, had said: "We want to come here and be the best Lions team ever. We have been talking about that loads and 3-0 is definitely on the table, hopefully. "We are all trying to strive to being the best team we can be and get that 3-0 win." Pollock may have been viewed as being brash with his remarks at the Adelaide Oval but as the Lions began preparations for the first Test in earnest on Monday in Brisbane, his England pack-mate and captain had no issue with his comments. 'I think that's definitely the ambition,' Itoje said. 'It would go without saying, no one ever wants to lose a game. It would be a bit weird if one of my team-mates said we want to win two and lose one – that would be a bit odd. That's definitely the ambition. 'I'm sure if you were to ask… you said Will Skelton was here earlier… or any other Wallabies players, I hope that's their ambition too, to win all the games. 'Look, obviously we want to win every game we play, that goes without saying. We want to win, as to wear this badge is a tremendous honour and we want to go there and win. But all we're focused is this Saturday. The other two games will look after itself. We just want to get a good result this Saturday.' With another back row Test hopeful, Ben Earl revealing that becoming the best Lions team ever was a collective ambition of the 2025 touring squad, Itoje said his players had the potential to achieve that objective. All that was left was to match those words with actions on the pitch, starting this Saturday. 'We have the capability to do that – it is on us now to deliver. 'And it's on us to deliver over the next three weeks, over these next four games. If we want to do that, if we want to be that, then it's not about talking about it, it's about being about it. The performances over the next three weeks will ultimately be the judge of that.' Itoje, on his third Lions tour having faced the All Blacks in 2017 and the Springboks four years later, confirmed there had been change in atmosphere within the Lions camp now Test week had got underway and the intensity outstripped any national team build-up. 'We know there's going to be a big step up. As we get closer and closer to the game, we'll sharpen and sharpen. There's a healthy tension in the squad because we know this is what we've been working towards. 'It's just the grandness of it, the occasion. It's different to a Test match at Twickenham, it's different to a Test match in any other part of the world, different to a World Cup. The fans go crazy, streets will be lined with people in Lions shirts. You won't be able to go anywhere without Lions fans and people being there. 'It's just a little bit different in that respect. But it's also brilliant, it's also an opportunity that one should relish, an opportunity that we as players should look forward to. We should walk into it. It's one of the great opportunities and events for us.' Both captain and assistant coach John Dalziel on Monday revealed the inspiration the tourists were taking from the Lions memory boards, one for the forwards, another for the backs, created by the players at the suggestion of the coaches. 'The whole idea being that it's a link to history,' Itoje said. 'When you wear this badge and represent the Lions, you have a responsibility because you're representing all four nations. You're also representing all the amazing players who have played and worn the jersey and who've been successful in the jersey. The idea being that it's now our turn, it's our opportunity, and it's up to us to take it forward.'
