Access to a vital therapy, known for treating adults with multiple myeloma, an incurable form of blood cancer, is being stalled in Canada, health advocates say.
The one-time treatment, called CAR T-cell or Carvykti, has been successful in the United States, helping individuals live longer; however, in September 2025, national reimbursement discussions between the drug manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, and the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance ended without an deal.
The failed agreement meant thousands of Canadians battling multiple myeloma who would qualify for the treatment would be left to pay for the drug out of pocket, with the therapy costing $632,455, according to Johnson & Johnson.
“At some point, they just couldn’t agree on the price that they were willing to pay or offer the province, and I think there is an opportunity to go back to the table and restart the negotiation because it’s in the interest of the patients,” said Martine Elias, CEO for Myeloma Canada.
One mother’s fear
Tanya Zigomanis is a mother of two who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2019 at 37 years old.
She has gone through several rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. After a relapse in March, she also needed biweekly IV chemotherapy. Zigomanis says she could one day need Carvykti as an additional line of treatment, but remains worried about the potential cost.
“I’m scared I’m going to ask family and friends to put together funds for me, I’m scared I’m going to have to sell my house to literally go to the U.S. to have CAR T-cell therapy there,” she explained. “I know a few friends who have done so.”
Zigomanis is one of thousands of Canadians who might face that decision if funding for the therapy isn’t approved, as nearly 4,000 Canadians are diagnosed with multiple myeloma each year.
“This medication would mean many drug-free years without going into hospitals for treatment and being able to live an everyday life, which most people can’t do right now,” Zigomanis said.
No deal on the table
CityNews reached out to Johnson & Johnson and the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Association (PCPA) for a comment.
A spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson told CityNews the pharmaceutical association wanted a single price across all provinces consistent with its mandate to find savings for public pharmacare plans.
In the drugmaker’s view, this is “preventing the provinces that may be ready and willing to list Carvykti from promptly making this medicine available.”
While a representative for the pharmaceutical association says that during negotiations, the gap between the price proposed by the company and the drug’s value remained too wide.
The prices negotiated by Johnson & Johnson and the PCPA are confidential.
While negotiations have ended, the PCPA says it would be open to restarting talks with the drug maker if it resubmitted a proposal.
When asked whether the company would resubmit a proposal, a spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson would not confirm its decision and instead said it will “continue to explore every option that enables the timely availability of this therapy.”
In the meantime, thousands of Canadians battling multiple myeloma remain waiting for answers, while fighting a disease where time is often limited.
