News

Published October 7, 2025

Ontario to speed up access to select cancer drugs by up to one year in new pilot

By Hannah Alberga
Ontario to speed up access to select cancer drugs by up to one year in new pilot
Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health speaks during Question Period at Queen's Park in Toronto on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Ontario says it will speed up the lengthy approval process for select cancer drugs by up to one year as part of a new pilot project.

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the three-year fast-track program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto.

Jones says seven to 10 high-priority cancer drugs that are approved by Health Canada through Project Orbis will be expedited in each year of the pilot.

🎧   Local news stories that matter most to you
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts to get notified of new episodes every day.

The federal government joined Project Orbis, an international initiative launched in 2019, to get patients promising cancer treatments sooner.

The Ontario Ministry of Health says it takes about two years in Canada for a newly approved drug to reach a patient, a year longer than in other developed countries.

Jones says the province will start the process of publicly funding select new drugs while pan-Canadian pricing negotiations are still underway with drug manufacturers.

Typically, public drug program funding doesn't begin until after the negotiations.

The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance said last week it was seeking input on an early negotiation process that would speed up public drug coverage for Canadian patients.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2025.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

What do you think of this article?
+1
1
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Have a breaking story?

Share it with us!
Share Your Story

What Barrie's talking about!

From breaking news to the best slice of pizza in town! Get everything Barrie’s talking about delivered right to your inbox every day. Don’t worry, we won’t spam you. We promise :)
Subscription Form
Consent Info

By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Central Ontario Broadcasting, 431 Huronia Rd, Barrie, Ontario, CA, https://www.cobroadcasting.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Related Stories

Advertisement
Advertisement