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Dear John,
A new study published by the Fraser Institute finds that Canadians don’t have the same timely access to life-savings medicines as Americans and Europeans.
In fact, 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.
This 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 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.
Read the full study here, and be sure to share it with your friends and colleagues!
Sincerely,
Niels Veldhuis
President
The Fraser Institute
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