Federal appeal to help Kitchener, Ont. woman who needs pricey cancer drug

A Kitchener, Ont. woman has renewed hope that the province will fund a rare – and pricey – cancer drug after a local politician saw her story on CTV News.

Noor Ayesha, a 25-year-old and new mom, shared her struggle with cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer that originates in the bile ducts of the liver. The disease is considered incurable.

Ayesha and her family have been looking at all their options. One is drug called Pemigatinib that could help her live longer. While the medication has been approved by Health Canada, it’s not covered by OHIP and the cost would be approximately $15,000 per month for the treatment.

Her story touched Kitchener Centre MP Mike Morrice.

“I noticed the story on CTV earlier in the week and flipped it to my team, knowing that we’d have a chance to be engaging with the minister later in the week,” he said Thursday.

Morrice explained that a meeting with the federal Minister of Health, at the Committee of the Whole, only happens once a year.

The timing was just right to ask why the drug, which is sold under the brand name Pemazyre, isn’t covered by OHIP.

Wednesday night, in the House of Commons, Morrice broached the issue.

“It’s approved by Health Canada, but not listed by the Canadian Drug Agency as recommended for public coverage. Can you share more, just briefly, about what can be done [to] work with provinces and territories to address this?” he asked.

“Given the level of specificity, perhaps the member could send me the specific details and I can get directly back to him,” replied Minister of Health Mark Holland. “I want to be able to dig into the specific circumstances as it relates to that exact drug.”

Morrice returned to his Kitchener office on Thursday and began putting a package together to send to the minister.

“Health Canada already approved it based on its efficacy and its safety, which means the only item left is cost effectiveness, which is really another way of saying: ‘Is this worth it to help us, help Noor, live longer?” he explained.

Ayesha, for the first time since her diagnosis, has hope.

“I’m very thankful to him, because without his help, I don’t think I would have this hope at all,” she said Thursday.

She’s also very aware that she’s running out of time.

Ayesha has a one-year-old daughter. She calls it her second chance at motherhood after her first child died shortly after birth.

“With my first pregnancy, I wasn’t able to spend time with my daughter,” she said through tears. “I just spent nine hours with her, just holding her in my chest. But with my second daughter, I want to spend more time and see her grow up. Because I have no time, this is the only option.”