Home / Health / Ontario Blocks Cancer Drug Access Amid Legal Fight
Ontario Blocks Cancer Drug Access Amid Legal Fight
8 Oct
Summary
- Province amended regulations to restrict out-of-country drug funding.
- Man with Stage 4 melanoma fought unsuccessfully for U.S. treatment.
- New rules prioritize drugs already funded within Ontario.
A 37-year-old father of two, Alex Shved, is in a difficult situation as he battles Stage 4 melanoma. His cancer has spread to his lungs and bones, prompting him to seek urgent treatment in the United States. Shved had previously taken the province to court over rejections of his funding requests by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
OHIP had denied Shved's oncologist's request for tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in Florida, which was estimated to cost US$600,000. The denial cited that the therapy was under consideration for public funding in Ontario. A Divisional Court ruling found OHIP's reasoning lacked a basis and ordered reconsideration.
Following the court's decision, OHIP rejected Shved's request for a third time. Subsequently, Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced regulatory amendments. These changes clarify that out-of-country drugs will only be funded if they are already funded within Ontario and access is temporarily unavailable or delayed.
Shved stated he is "incredibly disappointed and disheartened" by the government's response, viewing it as an attempt to "change the law to make those same actions now lawful" after the court's ruling. The government indicated it is exploring a "mutually satisfactory resolution" for Shved's case, though details remain unclear.
A version of TIL therapy, lifileucel, was approved by Health Canada last year and is currently undergoing reviews for provincial drug plan funding, a process that can take years. Shved has undergone various treatments since 2020, and his doctors believe he is a suitable candidate for TIL therapy.
