Ontario has approved accelerated public funding for six cancer drugs through a pilot program aimed at reducing wait times for patients, the provincial government says.
The Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments, or FAST, program allows certain cancer medications to be publicly funded up to a year sooner than the standard approval process. The Ministry of Health says six drugs have been approved since the pilot launched in October 2025.
The medications include TAGRISSO for lung cancer, SCEMBLIX for a type of leukemia, NUBEQA for prostate cancer, and CALQUENCE for lymphoma. Two combination therapies using OPDIVO and YERVOY were also approved for the treatment of specific colorectal and liver cancers.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said faster access to treatment can make a significant difference for patients facing a cancer diagnosis.
The government says cancer patients in Canada often wait close to two years for new publicly funded drugs, about a year longer than in many other developed countries. The FAST program is intended to reduce that gap by accelerating access to seven to 10 high-priority cancer drugs annually while longer-term funding reviews continue.
According to the province, drugs selected for FAST are prioritized through Project Orbis, an international initiative that coordinates regulatory reviews for promising cancer therapies among participating countries.
The FAST initiative is a three-year pilot program and will be evaluated to assess its impact on patient access, system sustainability, and overall experience, the government says.
Ontario spent $9.5 billion on the Ontario Drug Benefit program last year, including about $2.75 billion on cancer drugs and supportive therapies delivered in the community, according to the Ministry of Health.
The province says additional cancer drug approvals are expected under the FAST program in the coming months.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
