For many Canadians, the hardest part of facing a serious illness isn’t just the diagnosis, it’s the wait; the wait for the latest treatments, the wait for public coverage, the wait for hope.
Canada has one of the slowest timelines among G7 nations for making new medicines publicly available after Health Canada approval. Across Canada, it takes an average of 598 days from Health Canada approval for new cancer treatments to be listed by a public drug plan, meaning many patients wait nearly two years longer than those in other G7 countries to access potentially life-saving therapies.
For patients waiting for new treatment options, such as those with cancer, these delays can feel especially difficult, as every day matters in the course of their care. This is something that Christopher Mammoliti, National Patient Programs Manager at the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network knows all too well.
As a three-time cancer survivor, Christopher knew the signs to look out for when symptoms returned, even while juggling a new baby, a school board term, and a municipal campaign. After tests and ER visits, he was diagnosed with stage IV MSI-H cancer, a fast-growing tumour with a high number of genetic mutations due to defective DNA mismatch repair (dMMR).
What changed the trajectory of his illness was early access to an innovative immunotherapy drug that had only just been approved. Because his care team had identified his tumor’s MSI-H status early, he had the opportunity to try a treatment that wasn’t yet widely available, and the results came quickly.
After just a few treatments, his tumour began shrinking and his symptoms gradually dissipated. 11 treatment cycles later, surgery confirmed a complete pathological response. He went from preparing a will and planning for his family’s future without him to being fully present as a husband and father to two young boys.
“A delay in system approval should never be the reason why a child grows up without a parent or a spouse without their partner,” said Christopher. “That system gap is exactly what we need to advocate to close and [that’s] exactly why I'm standing here right now.”
Christopher’s experience highlights what’s at stake: when innovative treatments exist, but are not yet available, the difference between access and delay can potentially mean life or death.
However, there are reasons to be hopeful. Ontario has recognized the urgency in creating a faster, more direct path from regulatory approval to public coverage and has committed to improving timely access for cancer patients. The province launched a Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) program that aims to reduce the time it takes for patients to access certain high-priority oncology medicines following Health Canada approval.
Quebec has similarly announced measures aimed at accelerating access to medications for the Quebec population, with a plan to actively participate in a new accelerated drug price negotiation process for oncology drugs implemented by the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA).
The next step is to ensure that progress reaches patients in every province. Access should not vary based on geography. Whether in large urban centres or more remote communities, Canadians deserve timely access to new therapies that could impact their health and quality of life.
Meeting this challenge will require cooperation across the health system. Patients, governments, health care providers, and industry all play a role in shaping solutions. At Pfizer Canada, we are committed to partnering in these efforts to reduce delays and improve access for patients across the country.
The goal is clear: a future where Canadians can benefit from medical innovation without unnecessary waits, and where access to treatments keeps pace with the science behind them.
Every day, Canadians like Christopher show courage in the face of illness. Our health system should show the same urgency in getting them the treatments they need. It’s time to turn commitments into action and build a future where access is measured in weeks and months, not years.