Ontario is launching a new pilot program aimed at dramatically reducing the time it takes for patients to access life-saving cancer drugs — shaving as much as a year off the current approval timeline.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the three-year initiative on Tuesday at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Under the pilot, the province will fast-track funding for seven to ten high-priority cancer drugs each year that have been approved by Health Canada through Project Orbis, an international program established in 2019 to accelerate global access to promising cancer treatments.
Currently, it takes roughly two years for newly approved cancer drugs to reach patients in Canada — a full year longer than in many other developed countries. Jones said the province will now begin the process of publicly funding select drugs while national pricing negotiations with manufacturers are still underway, rather than waiting until those talks are complete.
“This pilot program will allow Ontario patients to access breakthrough treatments faster,” Jones said, calling the move a significant step toward aligning Canada’s drug approval timelines with international standards.
The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates drug prices on behalf of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, recently said it is exploring ways to begin negotiations earlier to speed up public drug coverage across the country.
Ontario’s new approach is expected to reduce delays and get innovative therapies to cancer patients months — and in some cases, a year — sooner.