Alex Shved is fighting Stage 4 cancer that has spread to his bones and lungs. His oncologist recommended tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, an experimental treatment available in Florida.
The 37-year-old Ontario father of two applied for out-of-country funding. The Ministry of Health rejected the request this spring, stating the therapy is undergoing a national funding review that could take years.
Shved argues he does not have time to wait. He has appealed the decision and filed for judicial review, describing the rejection as a bureaucratic catch-22: Ontario will not fund it now because it might fund it later, when it may be too late.
The Ministry says provinces do not provide out-of-country funding for drugs in the active national review process. Experts note American drug prices are often significantly higher than Canadian prices once negotiated.
Shved, who is also enrolled in a Phase 1 clinical trial, is advocating for greater transparency in such life-or-death decisions on behalf of all patients facing similar denials.