Ontario fast-tracking public coverage for new drugs targeting six cancers

A prescription bottle named osimertinib (brand name: Tagrisso) is seen on a table as Jill Feldman looks at her prescription bottle at her home in Deerfield, Ill., Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Lung cancer patient and advocate Jill Feldman takes pills at home that shrink tumors by blocking a signal that tells cancer cells to grow. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The Ontario government says it is fast-tracking the rollout of five “breakthrough” cancer drugs to treat six different illnesses through a pilot program meant to speed up coverage for Ontarians.

Through the Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program – a three-year pilot program – Ontarians will get coverage to new drugs for lung, prostate, liver and colorectal cancers, as well as leukemia and lymphoma.

“For every Ontarian facing a cancer diagnosis, timely access to high-quality treatment can make all the difference,” Health Minister Sylvia Jones said. “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 new drugs include Tagrisso, Scemblix, Nubeqa, Calquence, and Opdivo with Yervoy. They became available to Ontario patients through the FAST program in October 2025.

Some of the drugs on the list have been approved in Canada for nearly a decade, but they were not fully covered under the Ontario Drug Benefit plan.

For example, Tagrisso – a drug used to treat lung cancer – was approved for use in Canada in 2016. But as of 2023, it was still only available on a case-by-case basis through the Exceptional Access Program at a cost of 322.13 per 80 mg.

The province says it expects to fast-track additional cancer drug approvals in the coming months.

Drugs selected to be part of the FAST program are chosen through Project Orbis, an international initiative that fast-tracks regulatory review for promising cancer therapies, the Ministry of Health says.

Some drugs that are not included in FAST are made available through a separate program – Exceptional Access Program – on a case-by-case basis.