Canada speeds up clinical trials to attract global investment

Canada is making progress in speeding up its clinical trials system to become more competitive for global industry investment. New initiatives in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta are cutting trial activation timelines from months to weeks. A national consortium is also working to reduce duplication and fragmentation that have historically held the country back. In Ontario, a new accelerated pathway called QuickSTART coordinates contracting, budgets and ethics review within a 45-day timeline. Pilot studies completed the process in under 40 days, with multiple studies finishing within 25 days. In some cases, Canada was the first country to activate a global trial using this system. The Universal Agreement for Clinical Trials has been central to this success, reducing contracting timelines from months to days.

Quebec's FAST TRACK evaluation service has shown it can accelerate clinical trial start-up within eight weeks. Alberta is developing a similar program called Alberta FAST, which targets a 45- to 60-day activation timeline. These efforts are part of a broader national movement toward collaboration and efficiency led by the Accelerating Clinical Trials Consortium. The consortium connects hundreds of researchers, clinical trials units, hospitals, patient partners and government experts. A key project it funds is CanReview, which is implementing a coordinated single research ethics review system across the country. More than 30 sites and research ethics boards in four provinces are participating so far.

This system allows trials with sites in multiple provinces to receive one ethics review instead of requiring individual reviews at every location. CanReview aims for a 28-day timeline for ethics reviews, which aligns with standards in top-tier countries like the United Kingdom. This approach is expected to improve activation timelines and enable more cross-Canada research, bringing trials to patients in areas where access has been limited. The push for competitiveness follows concerns about a decline in industry investment in clinical trials in Canada. Stakeholders say securing investments and increasing efficiencies are crucial to making the country more attractive for global trials. They argue that clinical trials play a key role in securing a healthy future for Canadian patients and the economy.

Building a stronger clinical trials ecosystem is seen as a shared responsibility. Governments and policy makers must create conditions for research to thrive, according to sector advocates. Institutions must challenge established ways of working, and researchers and patients must help design a system that works for the people it serves. Industry must continue to be a partner in the effort. The ultimate goal goes beyond winning a global race for investment. It is to create a future where more Canadians can participate in cutting-edge trials and benefit from a thriving life sciences sector. Stakeholders say this requires a shared, long-term commitment to patients and the future of health care in Canada.

With files from The Good Men Project