Ontario has launched the Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program, marking the first initiative of its kind in Canada to fast-track access to groundbreaking cancer drugs. The program allows patients to access life-saving cancer treatments up to a year sooner by beginning public funding immediately while price negotiations continue.
"For thousands of Ontarians facing a cancer diagnosis, fast access to treatment is critical," said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "Through this historic initiative, our government is putting patients first and leading the world in delivering innovative cancer care faster than ever before."
Addressing Canada's Drug Access Delays
The initiative directly addresses a significant healthcare challenge: Canadian patients currently wait almost two years to access new publicly funded medicines, roughly a year longer than those in many other developed countries. Canada has among the longest timelines for new drugs to be approved by public health plans, averaging about 2½ years.
The three-year pilot program will accelerate access to seven to ten high-priority cancer drugs each year, all approved through Health Canada's Project Orbis, an international partnership that expedites approval for promising cancer therapies.
Program Implementation and Structure
Unlike traditional models that delay access during lengthy national pricing negotiations, the FAST program begins public funding immediately while negotiations continue. The drugs become available shortly after Canada's Drug Agency has issued a positive recommendation in its final report, ensuring Ontario patients can receive treatment without unnecessary waits.
The program is effective immediately and supports the province's broader health plan, "Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care," aimed at expanding access to innovative treatments and ensuring Ontarians receive timely, life-saving care closer to home.
National Response and Coordination Efforts
In response to Ontario's initiative, the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), the national body representing all public insurance plans, announced its own Early Negotiation Process. This initiative would begin price negotiations for Project Orbis cancer drugs while Canada's Drug Agency is still examining the drugs.
Mauro Chies, chief executive officer of the pCPA, explained that the goal is for pricing negotiations to run over three or four months and be timed to conclude as Canada's Drug Agency publishes its final recommendations. "We're going to run it until we get at least 10 drugs completed, do an evaluation, and then look to see if we have an opportunity to expand to other drugs in the future," he said.
Chies acknowledged that the new pCPA process could potentially eliminate the need for Ontario's pilot project by removing major hurdles for drugmakers, other than signing listing agreements with various provincial, territorial and federal drug plans.
Regulatory Pathway and Future Implications
For a new drug to be approved under the current system, it must navigate multiple departments and agencies. First, Health Canada examines the drug for safety and efficacy. Then, experts at Canada's Drug Agency evaluate the drug and issue recommendations to public plans based on factors such as cost effectiveness. Public insurance plans then negotiate prices with drug manufacturers through the pCPA, and finally, each province and territory decides whether to add the drug to its roster.
Both Ontario's FAST program and the pCPA's Early Negotiation Process specifically target cancer drugs included in Project Orbis, recognizing that oncology drugs already tend to move through the system faster than other drugs.
Ontario has been discussing the program with other provinces for months, though contacted provincial governments have not disclosed their reasons for not joining the initiative. The program's success could potentially serve as a template for expanding accelerated access to other drug categories in the future.
