Ontario is expanding access to a cancer drug that was the subject of a scathing report by the province's ombudsman earlier this year.

The province's Liberal government announced Sunday that it will cover the cost of Avastin for colorectal cancer patients who require the drug beyond the 16 two-week treatments currently paid for, if there's evidence their disease has not progressed.

The new criteria, effective immediately, will allow funded treatment of Avastin for up to 24 cycles. Treatment with Avastin beyond that could still be available on advice from the patient's doctor or oncologist, the government said.

In September, ombudsman André Marin released a report criticizing the government's decision to cut off funding for Avastin after 16 treatments, saying it "verges on cruelty."

Marin said several colorectal cancer patients were forced to pay for Avastin out of their own pockets or stop treatment after reaching the government's limit on payment. He said it was an arbitrary cutoff that failed to take into account whether the patient is responding well to treatment.

Avastin works by stopping the blood supply to cancerous tumours. But the drug is expensive, costing anywhere from $35,000 to $40,000 a year for each patient.

Last week, New Brunswick added the drug to the list of medications it covers, leaving Prince Edward Island the only province not paying for the drug.

With files from The Canadian Press