Better access to lifesaving medical research is coming with the opening of an eight-bed clinical trials unit (CTU) at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver — the first unit in B.C. capable of Phase 1 clinical trials for non-oncology conditions.
The Government of B.C. announced the launch of the new unit on September 17 with partners across the life sciences sector. The CTU is a strategic asset for B.C.’s life sciences ecosystem, including researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine. It addresses a critical gap in early-stage drug development that will allow researchers and local biotech companies to keep their intellectual property here at home, while moving ideas from the lab to the bedside and strengthening B.C.’s growing knowledge economy.
“We are committed to ensuring B.C.-based life sciences businesses have access to the tools they need to scale up and grow, while attracting more investment to B.C.,” said the Honourable Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “The new eight-bed Clinical Trials Unit at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital will advance early-stage drug development, while allowing more local life-sciences companies to conduct clinical research and grow here in B.C., instead of going elsewhere.”
The Government of B.C. invested more than $4 million to create the new CTU. In addition, the Province is supporting the establishment a new professorship in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics within the UBC Faculty of Medicine.
The new UBC professorship will provide academic leadership for the CTU and lead an integrated research and education program in clinical pharmacology. The position will also work to establish a new residency training program in clinical pharmacology that will strengthen the talent pipeline of clinical researchers and clinical trial investigators in the province.
“This expansion of clinical trial capacity, through the new CTU and UBC professorship, will be transformative for B.C. patients and for Canada’s economy,” said Dr. Wyeth Wasserman, vice-dean, research, UBC Faculty of Medicine. “Enabling researchers to conduct early-stage trials here at home will accelerate the delivery of breakthrough therapies to patients and further fuel B.C.’s rapidly growing life sciences sector.”
A first for British Columbia
With the new CTU, researchers will now be able to perform non-oncology Phase 1 clinical trials for medical devices and potential medicines, such as antibody treatments, gene therapies and vaccines given to humans for the first time.
“The new Clinical Trials Unit will drive the development of cutting-edge therapies and give B.C. life-sciences companies a clear pathway from invention to final approval,” said the Honourable Josie Osborne, B.C.’s Minister of Health. “With the opening of the CTU, we can now support every stage of therapy development, benefiting patients, strengthening B.C. companies and growing our economy.”
Successful Phase 1 clinical trials can lead to high-value licensing agreements with global pharmaceutical companies, resulting in increased revenues for B.C. companies.
“A robust clinical research ecosystem strengthens the province’s drug-development continuum, ensuring British Columbians are among the first to benefit from innovation discovered here,” said Anne Stevens, vice-president of business development at AbCellera, a UBC spin-off company. “Increasing capacity for conducting Phase 1 clinical trials moves B.C. closer to achieving its full potential as a world leader in medical innovation and research, and the resulting health and economic advantages that will benefit British Columbians for generations to come.”
Improving health outcomes for British Columbians
Clinical trials are a fundamental part of advancing medical knowledge and ensuring that new treatments improve health without causing harm. Phase 1 clinical trials are the first studies of a new treatment in humans and are conducted in specialized units with full medical support. They test the safety, side effects and best dose of a new treatment, as well as the best method to give the treatment.
“The impact of this clinical-trials unit on British Columbians cannot be understated,” said Dr. Darryl Knight, associate dean, research, Providence Health Care Research Institute with the UBC Faculty of Medicine and vice-president, research and academic affairs with Providence Health Care. “Early access to new therapies translates into improved health outcomes for people in B.C. and tangible economic benefits for the province.”
The new unit is expected to attract more clinical trials to the province, provide B.C. patients with more treatment options sooner, as well as draw new investment to the life-sciences sector.
Michael Smith Health Research BC also contributed $1.2 million to strengthen the province’s clinical trials environment, including $600,000 to the CTU and $600,000 to support the new professorship at UBC.
“Enhancing capacity for Phase 1 trials will increase the global competitiveness of British Columbia’s clinical trials ecosystem,” said Danielle Lavallee, vice-president, research programs, Michael Smith Health Research BC. “This crucial investment supports B.C.’s vision for clinical trials in which health and economic benefits are maximized for British Columbians.”
Interested in participating in health research? Learn more about current studies and clinical trials on the REACH BC website.