VANCOUVER—Canadian patients are waiting, on average, more than 65 weeks longer than Europeans and over 90 weeks more than Americans for access to new, potentially life-saving drugs, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan, Canadian public policy think-tank.

“Innovative new medicines can have a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of those suffering from illness. Unfortunately, Canadians are often denied these benefits for months, if not years, waiting for government to approve drugs already deemed safe and effective by regulators in the European Union and United States,” said Kristina Acri, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Timely Access to new Pharmaceuticals in Canada, the United States, and the European Union.

The study finds that of the 194 drugs approved in both Canada and the United States between 2019/20 and 2024/25, approval was granted an average of over 90 weeks earlier in the United States.

And of the 174 drugs approved in both Canada and Europe during the same period, approval was granted an average of 65 weeks earlier in Europe.

The main reason for this delay stems from differences in the dates on which manufacturers submitted new drugs to Health Canada for approval.

The resulting lag suggests drug companies are reluctant to launch new drugs in Canada because of a number of factors that range from Canada’s smaller market size, weaker intellectual property protections, and the federal government’s strict pricing policies.

“In some cases, pharmaceutical companies will wait up to a year after a drug has been approved in the U.S. or Europe before submitting that same drug for approval in Canada. Canada’s current approach, which duplicates approval processes undertaken in the U.S. and Europe, imposes considerable delays on Canadians struggling with illness,” said Acri.

“In the absence of international agreements to recognize drug approvals, policymakers should carefully consider how Canada’s drug policies attract or discourage drug companies from entering the Canadian market.”

Fraser Institute——Bio and Archives

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit fraserinstitute.org.

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