Is Canada ready for the promise and price of gene therapies?

A patient’s access to a potentially life-changing therapy should not depend on their postal code. Today, patients in Ontario and B.C. have pathways to receive the first gene therapy approved in Canada for hemophilia B. But patients in other provinces face uncertainty.

Gene therapy for the bleeding disorder hemophilia B is an important case study. It tests whether Canada can move from approval to access in a way that is timely, equitable, and sustainable, writes Peter Zhang.Photograph courtesy of Pexels

Opinion

BY PETER ZHANG

July 8, 2026

For the first time, a Canadian living with severe hemophilia B received gene therapy at the London Health Sciences Centre in May, a feat t...

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