Mary Tzortzis
Regional Clinical Operations Head, Bristol Myers Squibb Canada
Canada’s Life Sciences sector is ready to turn research excellence into patient access.
Canada has a remarkable life sciences ecosystem that stands out on the world stage; internationally renowned institutions and research centres, globally recognized researchers and scientists, and a biopharmaceutical industry that attracts global investment.
Despite this strong foundation, a critical gap between what science can offer, and what patients can access threatens to undermine Canada’s hard-won reputation, in what has become an increasingly competitive space.
I see this potential every day in our work at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) Canada. Our over 100 ongoing clinical trials connect us with research institutes and scientific teams from coast to coast, which may provide early access to investigational treatments under study.
For many, participation in a clinical trial offers the last treatment option available.
Science that is rewriting the future
The pace of innovation is contributing to ongoing advances in care. Over a decade ago, BMS launched the first immuno-oncology therapy in Canada for melanoma, harnessing the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Then came CAR T cell therapy, a personalized treatment that reprograms a patient’s own immune cells into what scientists call a “living drug,” that is precise, and built for aggressive cancers that have resisted other treatments.
In addition to cancer, these breakthroughs are also opening new frontiers in immunology and rheumatology, expanding possibilities for patients and care teams alike.
Canada’s research community has been central to this progress, and there is every reason to believe the best is still ahead.
Where Canada falls short
As one of the biopharmaceutical companies driving this work, we’ve seen firsthand both the promise of this ecosystem and the barriers preventing patients from fully benefiting.
Despite Canada’s research strengths, the country consistently underperforms when it comes to policies that translate approved innovations into accessible treatments.
Less than 20 per cent of new drugs launched globally become accessible through Canadian public plans, and when they do, access delays are more than twice as long as in comparable G7 countries.
The human impact of this is real. Patients may face challenges accessing timely care, which means therapeutic options narrow, and ultimately the windows of opportunity to treat a condition continually shrinks.
The path forward
A thriving life sciences sector is Canada’s most powerful tool for sovereignty in this field, giving us the ability to decide, on our own terms, what care Canadians can access and when.
As a committed partner in this sector, BMS Canada is encouraged by the work of the federal government as they strive to build something that works for patients, the economy, and for Canada’s long-term competitiveness.
This is a real opportunity to make meaningful progress on the issues that have held Canada back, from securing sustained federal investment in innovative medicines to expanding access pathways more consistently across provinces and territories.
Now at a tipping point, it’s time to advance a policy framework in Canada that values innovation, modernizes our approaches and expedites patient access.
Visit BMS.com/ca to learn more.
This article was made possible by the support of Bristol Myers Squibb Canada.