TORONTO — Ontario is expanding access to six new cancer drugs through a pilot program designed to speed up public funding decisions and connect patients to life-extending treatments as much as a year earlier than the typical timeline, the province announced Thursday.
The approvals are being delivered through the Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program, a first-in-Canada initiative the government says is aimed at reducing delays in bringing breakthrough cancer therapies to Ontarians. The Ministry of Health framed the move as part of its broader effort to protect the province’s health-care system while modernizing access to care.
“For every Ontarian facing a cancer diagnosis, timely access to high-quality treatment can make all the difference,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Through the FAST program, we’re accelerating access to life-saving therapies across the province, bringing hope, peace of mind, and transformative care to those who need it most.”
The province said six cancer drugs have been accelerated for funding through the FAST pilot since October 2025, covering a range of diagnoses including lung cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer, lymphoma, and certain colorectal and liver cancers. The newly fast-tracked therapies include TAGRISSO for lung cancer, SCEMBLIX for a type of leukemia, NUBEQA for prostate cancer, and CALQUENCE for lymphoma.
Ontario also listed two combination therapy indications for OPDIVO with YERVOY: one used to treat a type of colorectal cancer and another used to treat a type of liver cancer.
The government said it expects to fast-track additional cancer drug approvals in the coming months, building on the early phase of the three-year pilot.
Ontario’s announcement comes as Canadian patients continue to face lengthy waits for new publicly funded medicines. The province said patients in Canada currently wait nearly two years to access new publicly funded drugs — about a year longer than patients in other developed countries — and argued that the FAST model is intended to close that gap by accelerating funding decisions for high-priority cancer treatments.
Under the program’s design, Ontario aims to expedite access to seven to 10 cancer drugs each year, enabling eligible patients to receive publicly funded therapies up to a year sooner than they otherwise would.
FAST prioritizes medicines that have been approved through Project Orbis, an international initiative that accelerates regulatory review for promising cancer treatments. The province said the approach is meant to reduce administrative delays and deliver quicker access to therapies that could improve outcomes for patients facing serious illness.
The move is also positioned within the government’s broader health system strategy, Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, which Ontario says is focused on modernizing services and ensuring patients receive care when they need it.
Industry representatives welcomed the announcement, saying faster access to innovative therapies can benefit both patients and the health system.
“Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) applauds the Government of Ontario for delivering on its promise to accelerate access to life-extending cancer treatments for Ontarians. This announcement is an important milestone for patients and the health system alike. We look forward to working in partnership with Ontario to deliver a successful FAST program and to advance similar initiatives across the country. By leading the way on FAST, Ontario is setting a clear standard for the rest of the country — demonstrating how timely access to innovative medicines can be achieved, especially as Canada navigates the new U.S. policy on most-favoured nation drug pricing.”
- Dr. Bettina Hamelin
President and CEO, Innovative Medicines Canada
Ontario highlighted the scale of its public drug coverage in supporting the accelerated funding approach. The Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program covers approximately 5,900 drug products and therapeutic treatments on its formulary for roughly nine million Ontarians, the province said.
For drugs not listed on the formulary, Ontario noted that patients may still be considered for coverage through the Exceptional Access Program on a case-by-case basis, subject to criteria. That program includes nearly 1,500 drugs.
The province said the FAST program will be evaluated over its three-year pilot period to identify opportunities to improve the patient experience, assess the scope of the approach, and determine its long-term sustainability.
Ontario also pointed to recent spending levels in its drug programs, stating it invested $9.5 billion last year to support the Ontario Drug Benefit program, including approximately $2.75 billion for cancer drugs and supportive therapies delivered in the community.
Separately, Ontario referenced its January 2025 agreement with the federal government to improve care for people with rare diseases. The province said it is receiving $178 million through the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases to enhance early screening, diagnostics, and access to treatments, building on a $489 million provincial investment over the past year to fund 55 rare disease drugs through public drug programs.
With cancer drug costs continuing to rise and health systems under pressure, Ontario is positioning FAST as a model that could reshape how quickly new therapies move from regulatory approval to publicly funded access. The province said it will continue advancing additional approvals under the program as it seeks to narrow Canada’s lag behind peer countries on access timelines.
