Ontario drug policy could cost rare cancer patient her life

A rare cancer patient in Toronto, Holly Wardlow, is in a desperate situation as Ontario's new drug funding policy threatens her life. Wardlow has been receiving Bizengri, a drug costing $78,000 per month, to treat her NRG1 fusion cholangiocarcinoma. This medication has significantly shrunk her tumor, offering a chance for surgery, but its out-of-country status means it's no longer funded by OHIP under a new regulation.

The Ontario government announced a policy change to Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act, stating that only drug treatments with provincial approvals will be funded. This decision, affecting patients like Wardlow, aims to prevent significant annual costs and ensure pharmaceutical companies negotiate prices directly with the province. The policy shift follows a court case where another patient successfully argued for out-of-country treatment funding.

Wardlow has already exhausted her savings and relies on family and crowdfunding for her treatment, which began in April. The manufacturer of Bizengri has indicated no plans for Canadian submission within the next two years, focusing development in the United States. Doctors believe Bizengri offers a better quality of life and more effectiveness than traditional chemotherapy for her condition, but its availability hinges on Wardlow's ability to pay.

With an estimated prognosis of "approximately one year" without the targeted therapy, Wardlow expresses deep fear but also gratitude for her life and career as an anthropology professor. The situation highlights the critical challenges faced by patients with rare diseases in accessing life-saving treatments not yet approved within Canada.