Dr. Bettina Hamelin
President,
Innovative Medicines Canada
Canada is lagging when it comes to access to new medicines, but collaboration and innovation could transform healthcare for all Canadians.
Canada is at a pivotal moment in healthcare. While advancements in gene editing, precision medicine, AI, and vaccines are transforming treatment possibilities, these breakthroughs remain out of reach for too many Canadians.
Fewer than 20 per cent of new medicines launched globally make it to Canadian public drug plans, leaving countless patients waiting — sometimes for years, or even indefinitely — for treatments that could dramatically improve or even save their lives. This places Canada last among G7 nations in terms of access to new medicines. This delay isn’t just a statistic — it’s a real issue affecting patients and families. When a life-changing treatment is available elsewhere but inaccessible in Canada, it’s a failure of the system.
As President of Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC), I see firsthand how these delays affect patients, families, healthcare providers, and our healthcare system as a whole.
Striving for better health outcomes
At IMC, we’re committed to changing this. By collaborating with all levels of government, patients, and healthcare stakeholders, we aim to create policies and frameworks that foster the development and delivery of cutting-edge therapies and sustainable healthcare outcomes for all Canadians.
New, targeted therapies have the potential to significantly reduce mortality rates for individuals with rare diseases and advanced-stage cancers. The economic benefits are equally compelling. Chronic diseases cost the Canadian economy a staggering $190 billion annually. By expediting access to innovative treatments, we could not only improve patients’ lives but also reduce sick days, shorten hospital stays, and get Canadians back to work faster, alleviating this economic burden. In fact, we could focus on preventing not only chronic diseases themselves but also the impact on secondary disease risk.
The pharmaceutical industry also plays a crucial role in Canada’s economy, contributing billions in research and development while creating thousands of high-quality jobs. By fostering a supportive environment for innovation, we can attract further investment and ensure that Canadian discoveries benefit Canadians first.
Together, we can ensure that every Canadian benefits from the best our healthcare system has to offer.
Breaking down barriers
The pandemic showed us what’s possible when urgency drives action. Regulatory processes were accelerated, and groundbreaking treatments reached patients in record time. We need to leverage these learnings and make timely access to medical innovation the norm, not the exception.
Achieving this requires a united effort. Policymakers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and patients must collaborate to create a system that embraces innovation and ensures that life-saving treatments are available to Canadians without unnecessary delay. This includes streamlining regulatory processes, adopting innovative healthcare models like outcomes-based agreements, and investing in advanced diagnostics and precision medicine.
Canada has the talent, resources, and expertise to lead globally in healthcare innovation. But leadership requires action. It’s time to break down the barriers preventing patients from accessing the treatments they need.
Together, we can ensure that every Canadian benefits from the best our healthcare system has to offer.
To learn more about our work and how you can join the conversation,
visit innovativemedicines.ca.
