Clinical Trials Ontario (CTO), a province-wide entity to make Ontario the preferred location for global clinical trials activity while maintaining the highest ethical standards, has officially launched.

"We believe that the CTO will be a very important asset to Ontario in attracting clinical trials and the research and development investment that comes with it. Through the creation and funding of CTO, the Ontario government has shown that it understands the high level of global competition for the placement of clinical trials and has taken steps to be a world class player in this arena,” said Nita Arora, head of clinical operations, North America, Hoffmann-La Roche.

While CTO’s goal is to comprehensively make Ontario more competitive in the global clinical trials marketplace, its initial strategic approach is to streamline the ethics review and contract approval processes for industry-driven multi-site clinical trials in Ontario.

Creating CTO satisfies one of the strategic initiatives under the government's Life Sciences Commercialization Strategy to help position Ontario as one of the world's leading life sciences jurisdictions. This will ensure cutting-edge healthcare discoveries and products are developed and nurtured in Ontario—keeping and creating high-value jobs in Ontario and providing Ontarians with early access to innovative approaches to health care through investigational drugs, devices and services.

This approach will also reduce duplication, shorten study start-up time, provide the highest quality of review and ensure the highest standard of patient safety while increasing patient access to investigational therapies.