Ontario cancer patients are now getting faster access to life-extending treatments as the province begins to roll out a program to cut long drug wait times.
The Ontario government says its Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program is now connecting patients to six breakthrough cancer drugs up to a year sooner than the traditional approval process.
Health officials say the program is already making a difference for patients who previously waited nearly two to three years for publicly funded cancer medications.
“A year is a long time to wait to access a drug that you know works,” said Dr. Keith Stewart, director of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and vice-president for cancer at University Health Network. “It’s torturous for patients to have to sit and wait for these approvals.”
The FAST program was announced in 2025, but the province confirmed Thursday that the rollout is now underway, with six cancer drugs already fast-tracked since October.
The drugs treat lung cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer, lymphoma, colorectal cancer and liver cancer. Ontario says more cancer medications will be added in the coming months.
Stewart noted that CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma has been available in the U.S. for almost four years, but Ontario patients have waited at least 18 months, with some even considering treatment abroad.
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“It really feels like we’ve fallen behind. And we’re not able to deliver this and patients know about it,” Stewart said. “I even have a patient looking at going to China now to get treated because he can’t access here.”
According to Stewart, many of these treatments are extremely expensive.
“You have drugs that are costing $10,000 a dose or in the case of cellular therapies, it could be up to half a million dollars for one treatment.”
In Canada, patients typically wait up to two years for new publicly funded medicines, which is about a year longer than patients in other developed countries.
Stewart said those delays can seriously affect recovery.
“Patients often don’t have time to wait,” Stewart said. “They’re hanging in there as long as they can, but sometimes that’s not enough time.”
Doctors say the delays come after drugs are already approved as safe and effective, with public funding decisions often taking another 18 to 24 months.
The wait can be especially hard for families and children. Pediatric cancer drugs often arrive later because trials usually begin with adults.
“The drugs for children are a bit more, they usually come later because most of the trials are done in adults to start with, so they’re often coming later,” Stewart said.
Stewart also acknowledged the pressures on the broader health system but said these initiatives from the provincial government will certainly help.
“We have to balance it against the other needs of a very stressed health-care system across the board. But I think overall, the government is trying and Ontario has really stepped up to try and do better.”
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the FAST program is designed to close those gaps and get proven treatments to patients faster.
“For every Ontarian facing a cancer diagnosis, timely access to high-quality treatment can make all the difference,” Jones said in a statement Thursday. “Through FAST, we’re accelerating access to life-saving therapies across the province.”
The program allows Ontario to fund certain cancer drugs before national pricing negotiations are finalized.
The province says this helps patients receive treatment sooner while long-term costs are still being assessed.
Ontario plans to fast-track seven to 10 cancer drugs each year under the three-year pilot, which will be evaluated for long-term sustainability, according to the release.
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