Ontario speeds up cancer drug access with FAST program

Ontario's FAST program is fast-tracking six cancer drugs, allowing patients to access certain treatments up to a year sooner than the usual public funding process.

Ontario has begun rolling out a program to shorten waits for publicly funded cancer drugs. The Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program was announced in 2025 and the province says six drugs have been fast-tracked since October. Officials say the move can get treatments to patients up to a year sooner than the traditional approval process. Health Minister Sylvia Jones described FAST as intended to close gaps in timely access to proven therapies. Key details: - The six drugs fast-tracked since October treat lung cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer, lymphoma, colorectal cancer and liver cancer. - FAST allows Ontario to fund certain cancer drugs before national pricing negotiations are finalized. - The province plans to fast-track seven to ten cancer drugs each year under a three-year pilot that will be evaluated for long-term sustainability. - Health officials and Dr. Keith Stewart said public funding decisions nationwide often take another 18 to 24 months, and that Canadian waits for new publicly funded medicines can be up to two years, about a year longer than in other developed countries. - Dr. Stewart noted CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma has been available in the U.S. for almost four years while Ontario patients have waited at least 18 months, with some patients considering treatment abroad. - Some of the treatments are expensive, with examples cited of around $10,000 per dose or up to $500,000 for certain cellular therapies. Summary: The province says FAST is already shortening the time to access certain cancer medications and officials link faster funding to potential improvements for patients facing long waits. The rollout will add more cancer medications in the coming months and the three-year pilot will be evaluated for long-term sustainability.