Why Ontario for Clinical Trials?
Ontario is a preferred destination for conducting clinical trials. We have world-class top scientists, a diverse patient population, a competitive environment for business, and Canada’s largest concentration of health sciences companies, hospitals, research institutes, contract research organizations and trial sites. We’re the place for your next clinical trial.
We have a thriving health and life sciences sector
We are a global leader in cancer, stem cell and cardiovascular disease research
1,400+ cancer clinical trials
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is among the top five cancer research institutes in the world and is a global leader in stem cell research.
13+ stem cell therapy trials
Ontario researchers lead ground breaking stem cell therapy trials, including a trial led by The Ottawa Hospital to treat septic shock, a deadly disease accounting for 20% of all ICU admissions in Canada.
500+ cardiovascular disease trials
Over 25,000 patients are enrolled in a global study led by Hamilton Health Sciences’ Population Health Research Institute to better understand causes and barriers to care for cardiovascular disease.
Businesses benefit from conducting trials in Ontario
- Combined with federal R&D programs, Ontario’s R&D tax incentives can reduce after-tax cost by 40-60%.
- Small and medium-sized companies can earn an additional 10% refundable innovation tax credit worth up to $300,000 annually.
- Diverse population of more than 13 million.
- Health Canada review time of 30 days for clinical trial applications (CTA).
Our programs help you conduct more trials, more efficiently
More efficient
Clinical Trials Ontario provides a more streamlined and efficient process to get clinical trials started. Through our flagship program CTO Stream, all participating sites undergo a single ethics review rather than separately applying to local research ethics boards. There is just one application across the province, one consent form.
More centralized
The CTO system enables sponsors to drive and manage a trial at their own pace, providing centralized control and accessibility to trial data.
More cost effective
Through CTO Stream, there are cost savings with five or more Ontario sites. All invoices come through a central body with no contracts required (unless specified). You pay a flat fee through a single invoice, at a very competitive price, and there are no additional fees for continuing reviews or most amendments.
Quicker
90% per cent of additional sites in CTO Stream gain research ethics approval in less than one month, with nearly half of those gaining approval in less than one week. This means that ethics review for a rescue site can be completed in as little as one month.
Our latest program, QuickSTART, further accelerates start-up times by using automated nudges and notifications to bring sponsoring companies and sites on the same page with respect to budgets and contracts.
Fully supported
CTO’s Industry Concierge Service is helping industry conduct trials in Ontario by providing companies with the contacts and tool they need to get their trial off the ground.
Downloadable PDF: How Can CTO Programs Help You?
Downloadable PDF: Why Ontario for Clinical Trials
