Overview

The Funding Accelerated for Specific Treatments (FAST) pilot program:

  • is a 3-year initiative that will accelerate the public funding of select high-priority cancer drugs
  • will provide eligible patients with coverage for these cancer drugs up to 9 months faster
  • will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to evaluate patient experience and to determine if it’s sustainable and should be expanded

Interim period

During this time, certain medicines will be paid for by the government:

  • after a positive final recommendation from Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC), meaning after the Canada’s Drug Agency says “yes” to the medicine
  • before the conclusion of pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) negotiations with the manufacturer of the drug, meaning before price talks with the drug manufacturer are fully finished

After the interim period

The outcome of pCPA negotiations determines if public funding is continued after the interim period.

If public funding is not continued after the interim period, the drug manufacturer must fund the drug for patients who started treatment during the interim period.

Eligibility

To be considered for the FAST pilot, a drug must be:

  • a Project Orbis cancer drug with a positive final CDA-AMC recommendation
  • manufactured by a company that wants to enter into a Letter of Intent and funding agreement with Ontario
  • suitable for the FAST pilot (the ministry will assess each file individually)

While we anticipate most drugs in the Project Orbis pipeline to be eligible, the ministry may not select a drug for the FAST pilot for the following reasons:

  • the drug is complex (for example, CAR-T)
  • the drug requires complex negotiations
  • the drug is eligible for other accelerated public funding pathways
  • the ministry does not consider funding the drug under the FAST pilot to be in the public interest

Contact us if interested

Following a submission to Canada Drug Agency, manufacturers may indicate interest to participate in the FAST pilot via email.

Email the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Health Programs and Delivery Division at DIRECT@ontario.ca with the subject line “FAST Pilot Participation Inquiry”.