Change is in the air for PAAB’s Accelerated Review Options (AROs)! A client favourite, the ARO service has built a strong track record of expediting approval for the types of submissions that fall within its scope. This success has motivated us to explore creative ways to expand its availability and maybe make it even better.


This expansion is designed to meet industry needs head-on. We’ve listened to your feedback and invested in processes that make this possible.


The following outlines the key changes to the ARO service.

Messenger functionality is now included with every ARO for the rest of the year at no cost 

We’ve received very positive feedback on the new messenger feature, and early trends show that it effectively contracts time to approval. In advance of our 50th anniversary, we are offering messenger bundled with any ARO review at no additional cost until the end of March.


To activate messenger, either request it within your initial submission form or email review@paab.ca. This applies to both ongoing and new AROs. Please note that only one package of 5 messages is included as part of this offer.


Note: Messenger remains available at cost for standard (non-ARO) submissions. 

Big news from PAAB regarding AROs!

New: ARO availability broadened significantly


Historically, ARO was limited to a narrow slice of submission types. As of December 8th 2025, we are flipping the model: ARO is now available for most submissions, with only a few exceptions.

In the past, ARO has only been available for:

  • Time-sensitive announcements (2 pages or less)
  • Updates to information previously approved in APS (2 pages or less)
  • Initial launch materials for products approved via Health Canada’s Interim Order or Accelerated/Priority Review 
  • Print pieces repurposed to digital media (or vice versa) where the digitization exemption criteria are not met. See: Clarification Regarding Digitization of APS 
  • Risk Management Tools (RMTs)
  • Patient information APS





Now it is available for all APS, with the following exceptions:

Some ARO levels are not available for APS that include many pages of new content or many references requiring detailed review. The following lists the exclusion thresholds: 

  • ARO 2: >10 pages of new content or >5 references requiring detailed assessment
  • ARO 4: >20 pages of new content or >10 references requiring detailed assessment
  • ARO 7: >40 pages of new content or >20 references requiring detailed assessment


ARO 2 and ARO 4 are also generally not available for APS using data from non–Product Monograph studies unless those studies have been previously approved for use in advertising.

Note: Previously approved content (appropriately shaded) is not considered new content and would not apply to the new content page limits listed above.


What is a ‘detailed assessment’?


As a general guide, a “detailed assessment” entails the reviewer needing to read the entire reference to determine its validity (e.g. clinical trials, surveys, etc.) and/or to ensure the promoted elements are not overly selective. Factors that typically determine whether a detailed assessment will be required include whether the reference has been used for similar claims in prior PAAB approved materials, and the nature of the reference (e.g., new studies & surveys generally require a detailed assessment). A detailed assessment may also be required in cases where a single claim is referenced to more than one reference source to evaluate the consistency, relevance and collective strength of the evidence.


If you'd like your APS assessed for ARO eligibility due to special circumstances (e.g., PAAB has already provided an opinion on the acceptability of a study), please reach out to review@paab.ca for a free assessment.



ARO is now available for DTC submissions


ARO-2 can now be used for direct-to-consumer (DTC) submissions, provided the submission contains ≤10 pages of new content and ≤5 references requiring detailed assessment. There are no exclusions applicable to ARO-4.

For more information, please see the full Fee Schedule .



Notable fee changes


  • Supplemental page fee increase to reflect the more detailed assessments that are now available to ARO:
  • ARO-7 and ARO-10: $2/page → $4/page
  • ARO-2 and ARO-4: $4/page → $8/page
  • Removal of automatic upgrades for short submissions:
    Previously, APS with ≤2 pages of new content received a free level upgrade. This policy created tracking and reporting challenges. Broader ARO availability would further accentuate these challenges. As such, automatic upgrades have been retired.


For more information, please see the full Fee Schedule