Alan West is a partner in Gowling WLG's Toronto office, practising primarily in areas of law related to pharmaceuticals and health care.
Alan's practice focuses on the regulation and pricing of drugs, biologicals and radiopharmaceuticals, and medical devices, cosmetics, food and beverages (registration, licensing, compliance, recalls, etc.). "Regulation" includes work related to development of drugs and devices from pre-clinical, clinical testing and post-marketing phases, including clinical trial agreements and protocols, research agreements, licensing work, advertising and promotion of drugs to health care professionals and to consumers.
He also has extensive experience in the law relating to the inter-relationship between private health care providers and the publicly funded health insurance system in Canada and deals extensively with negotiations between Health Canada and his clients, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, provincial drug benefits formulary matters (including formulary 'listing' issues) and private insurance funding and reimbursement of drug and device costs.
Alan began his law practice in the litigation arena mainly representing drug manufacturers and insurers on drug product liability issues and this is still an important part of his practice. He has significant experience in all aspects of product recalls in Canada (food and drugs and consumer goods) and the regulations relating to labelling and packaging of consumer goods and also products regulated under the Food and Drugs Act.
Alan has been an advocate before the Supreme Court of Ontario, the Court of Appeal, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and a recent Royal Commission of Inquiry. He has represented and continues to represent many well-known national and international pharmaceutical, biological, medical device, consumer products and food manufacturers in regulatory and litigious matters across the country as well as 'start-up' biotech ventures.
Before joining the firm in 1995, Alan spent seven years as an associate and partner of a well-known insurance defence firm in Toronto.
Alan is a licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada and the Board of Medical Examiners of the State of Arizona. He was a lecturer for many years at The Insurance Institute of Canada in Toronto.
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