The Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Canada Consortium launches!

Credit: PHRI Population Health Research Institute

A pan-Canadian large group of stakeholders – researchers, academic hospitals, universities, clinical trial support groups, patient-partner groups, Indigenous health leaders and more – has established the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Canada Consortium to accelerate, optimize, and facilitate the conduct, implementation, and results translation from high-quality, high-impact randomized controlled trials to improve health in Canada and around the world.

ACT brings together hundreds of researchers from 28 networks, 11 trial units, patient-partners, the biotechnology industry, government, and experts in research ethics review processes, contracts, insurance, regulatory processes, patient engagement, clinical trials training, communications, knowledge mobilization – from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and Nunavut.

ACT will maximize research impact and knowledge mobilization – following best practices in patient-oriented research and integrated knowledge translation, leveraging national and international contacts.

ACT will advance equitable access to trials for all Canadians – no matter where they live, inclusive of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status – following the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in clinical trials such that the knowledge gained is applicable to all those affected.

ACT will build clinical trial capacity – providing trial units with the knowledge, skills, and experience to conduct large-scale trials. We will streamline administrative processes (for example, ethics reviews, contracts, and protocols) to accelerate timelines and reduce costs.

ACT is funded by the Canadian federal government, through its Clinical Trials Fund (CTF) in the amount of $39 million CAD. The ACT coordinating centre is PHRI – the Population Health Research Institute, a joint institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.