Expert, Efficient, Effective

With hundreds of promising new therapies in the pipeline, the pressure is rising to complete clinical trials quickly, efficiently and with the high quality data that regulators demand. Many life sciences leaders are finding the solutions they need in Ontario, Canada. Across the province, public and private sector 
researchers are conducting Phase I through IV clinical trials in fields ranging from cancer and cardiology to diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's and others.

Ontario is one of North America's pre-emi-nent biomedical centres. Our investigators are recognized for their expertise in managing complex clinical trials. We are the home of world-renowned clinical research centres such as the University of Toronto's Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Princess Margaret Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children, the Ottawa Heart Institute and the London Health Sciences Centre. We are also the location of choice for about 50 % of Canada's pharmaceutical and biotech companies and around 60 % of all Canadian medical device companies. Altogether, more than 800 life sciences companies in Ontario employ 40,000 people and generate more than CAD-$10.7 billion in annual revenue. Our researchers bring a reputation for scientific excellence to every clinical trials project, large or small. Data from Ontario clinical trials is recognized by U.S. and EU medical authorities, as well as Canadian.

Clinical Trial Systems that Save Time

Ontario has the people, expertise and network infrastructure to accelerate your clinical trials. Our centrally managed public healthcare system helps streamline patient characterization, recruitment and tracking. We have well-established contract research organizations with a wealth of experience in managing clinical trials across Canada and around the world. Furthermore, we have networks of high quality clinical sites with staff trained in Good Clinical Practices (GCP) and common standards of care which makes for easier multi-site data integration.

Project Cost-efficiencies that 
Save Money

A wide range of factors help reduce the costs of clinical trials in Ontario. The costs for routine diagnostic procedures such as blood chemistry are often covered by our public healthcare system, which also helps offset the fees for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions such as MRI scans. Institutional overhead costs in Ontario are highly competitive as are labour costs, especially for research investigators and nurses with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training. We also offer very generous R&D tax incentives with a broad definition of what qualifies as R&D for tax purposes.

Government Support

R&D is a major industry in Ontario with a critical mass of researchers, facilities and suppliers to support major projects. Pharmaceutical companies alone spend more than CAD-$550 million annually on R&D in Ontario. The Ontario government has committed CAD-$1.4 billion to support research and innovation. A healthy life sciences sector is a priority, with a special focus on improving the commercialization of new medical breakthroughs and discoveries. Major government investments have included almost CAD-$250 million for the new Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, part of which is earmarked for clinical trials infrastructure, and almost CAD-$60 million given to the MaRS Centre in downtown Toronto. MaRS is an award-winning facility that brings together researchers, industry leaders and financiers under one roof to stimulate innovation and foster commercialization.

In August, the government launched the Emerging Technologies Fund. The CAD-$250-million fund will co-invest - along with qualified venture capital funds and other private investors - in companies in high-growth sectors that are aligned with Ontario's Innovation Agenda: Clean technology, life sciences including advanced health technology, digital media and information/communications technology.

In March 2008, Ontario launched its Next Generation of Jobs Fund which is a five-year, CAD-$1.15 billion strategy to help innovative companies in Ontario grow. Target sectors include: Health technologies and pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. Companies are guaranteed a decision within 45 days of submitting a complete proposal.

Central Location in the 
North American Market

As well as being a focal point for science, Ontario is a leading North American centre for business, entertainment, the arts and tourism. We're part of the CAD-$16+ trillion NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) market. People, products and ideas move freely across our borders. We have five international airports. Ontario's major cities - Toronto, Hamilton, London, Thunder Bay and Ottawa - are, at most, a two-to-three hour flight from major U.S. centres. North American similarities in our practice of medicine, regulatory frameworks, culture and language, as well as sharing common time zones, smooth the way for project partnerships with U.S. firms. Our cultural, scientific and trade connections with Europe and Asia provide a strong foundation for multi-centred international research collaborations.

Spotlight: Population Health Research Institute

When Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals needed an organization to coordinate the landmark Ontarget/Transcent program they turned to the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI), at Hamilton‘s McMaster University. The study involved more than 31,000 high-risk cardiovascular patients, at over 700 sites worldwide and scientists from McMaster University, Oxford University in England, the University of Auckland in New Zealand and Boehringer Ingelheim.

The PHRI conducts some of the world's largest international clinical trials. Since it was established in 1999 under the directorship of Dr. Salim Yusuf, the Institute has steadily grown. "Our group has led the successful completion of several large and efficient global studies involving tens of thousands of patients that have changed the practice of medicine worldwide and have improved the health of millions of individuals," says Dr. Yusuf. "Our success is based on the dedication, skills and innovation of our team, both in Hamilton and with our close collaborators around the globe."

Fast Facts

• Private and public sector researchers in Ontario conduct more than CAD-$13.5 billion in R&D annually.
• The Princess Margaret Hospital Consortium was selected as the first Canadian centre to carry out the U.S. government's National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored phase II clinical trials of new anti-cancer drugs.
• Since its Inception in 1971, the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trial Group (NCIC CTG), based at Queen's University in Kingston, has enrolled more than 40,000 patients from Canada and around the world in over 300 clinical trials.