Ontario Speeds Up Cancer Drug Approval with New Pilot Project
Ontario is launching a new pilot project to accelerate the approval process for select cancer drugs. This move aims to significantly reduce the time it takes for these life-saving treatments to reach patients in Canada, currently around two years.
The project, announced by Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, will expedite seven to 10 high-priority cancer drugs each year over the next three years. These drugs are approved by Health Canada through Project Orbis and will be publicly funded even before pan-Canadian pricing negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers are finalized. Typically, public drug program funding begins only after these negotiations are complete. The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) will continue to oversee earlier negotiations to achieve faster public reimbursement for new cancer drugs in Canada.
Through this pilot project, Ontario aims to cut the wait time for select cancer drugs by up to one year. This initiative is expected to improve access to critical treatments for cancer patients across the province.
