Ontario government commits C$5m to accelerated study start program

The Ontario government will invest C$5 million to boost the Canadian province’s ability to attract clinical trials.

The investment – part of a wider commitment to invest $146 million in the region’s healthcare sector announced in October – will be provided to Clinical Trials Ontario (CTO), a nonprofit organization tasked with strengthening and promoting drug studies.

CTO will use the funds for its QuickSTART program, which is designed to reduce the barriers to help speed up clinical trial start-up times, according to Susan Marlin, president and CEO.

“Clinical trials play a critical role in building a globally competitive life sciences sector, while driving discovery and advancing healthcare for patients and families.

“This investment from the government of Ontario will help strengthen our clinical trials ecosystem by supporting the expansion of key initiatives, including Clinical Trials Ontario’s QuickSTART program, which removes red tape and improves trial start-up processes so that we remain competitive and continue to create more accessible and beneficial clinical trials opportunities for Ontarians.”

This was echoed by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said, “The significant investments we’re making in the sector are unlocking new opportunities, accelerating the development of life-changing medicines and technologies and helping to keep people healthy.

“We want Ontario to be a place where medical breakthroughs are discovered and developed into innovative products and services for the benefit of everyone,” Ford added.

The QuickSTART program helps trials sites and sponsors establish standardized processes to improve efficiency and achieve a 90-day overall start-up time for clinical trials.

It is intended to be a streamlined start-up process and is supported by an online digital platform in which engaged parties - sponsor, investigator, and institution - can work in a streamlined fashion toward a 90-day study start-up goal, according to CTO.

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