Key Capabilities

The collective capabilities of Alberta’s clinical trial assets are vast. Industry sponsors frequently rely on our capabilities across a range of trial types, therapeutic areas and sectors to enable high-impact research and advance commercialization efforts. From early phase studies requiring bioanalytical support, pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation to phase IV studies involving outpatient facilities and real-world evidence, it’s possible in Alberta.

Preclinical and Early Stage Trials

Industry sponsors conducting preclinical or first-in-human early phase trials will find that Alberta boasts extensive capabilities for the effective evaluation of drug candidate safety and efficacy. Our network of facilities and support teams offer a full range of services, enabling the collection of high-quality data to inform future trials faster.

Dedicated resources for early phase trials are available to help industry sponsors advance drug candidates through our two state-of-the-art Phase I Clinical Trial Units (both housed within world-class hospitals) that enable the safe study of compounds in critical care settings.

EMRs for a population of more than 4 million

Toxicology and pathology expertise

Dedicated pre-clinical and early phase facilities

Regulatory expertise

Phase II, III and IV Trials

Industry partners from around the world rely on Alberta’s extensive late-stage trial capabilities to accelerate development efforts. Our province is home to leading institutional expertise across a range of therapeutic areas, state-of-the-art imaging and testing facilities and robust health data repositories.

In addition, outpatient research facilities can be found in both urban and rural regions across the province.

Expertise across a range of therapeutic areas

Ethnically diverse population

Real-world evidence capabilities

Full suite of trial support services

Clinical Trial Management

Industry partners conducting clinical trials in Alberta have access to a network of AROs, CROs and operational teams that provide expert support at every stage. Whether you’re seeking to address specific operational challenges or require a complete trial management solution, Alberta’s resources can provide the complementary services needed to accelerate your trials.

Trials conducted in Alberta are managed using the OnCore Clinical Trial Management System, ensuring effective oversight and reporting of all study activities from planning through closure and regulatory submission.

Concept/study development

Site identification and recruitment

Study execution and management

Regulatory compliance

Biotech Trials

Alberta is recognized as a global leader in leading and managing biotech clinical trials. Driven by our unique infrastructure and sector expertise, hundreds of biotech partners are currently engaged in trials across a range of therapeutic areas including oncology, infectious diseases, rare diseases, and genetic disorders.

Alberta also holds specific value as a trial destination for smaller biotech organizations that may not have the full spectrum of resources required to bring interventions to market. Numerous AROs and CROs offer a range of services, while a highly trained research workforce ensures that data obtained is of the highest quality (and acceptable by major regulatory bodies).

Dedicated labs and facilities

Highly skilled research workforce

Key opinion leaders

Study closure and commercialization

Health Data and Analytics

Alberta is home to one of the most robust, integrated and accessible health data repositories in the world. All of our province’s medical records (covering a population of more than 4 million) are electronic, allowing for streamlined access to high quality data that can support feasibility studies, longitudinal monitoring for regulatory approvals and pragmatic clinical trials.

Data is collected and connected from numerous sources including hospitals, primary care clinics and non-emergency health care settings.

EMRs for a population of more than 4 million

Data linkage and analytics platforms

Real-world evidence capabilities

Ability to access data remotely

Key Alberta programs and initiatives

In collaboration with the provincial government, a number of academic and research organizations have introduced initiatives to position Alberta as an even more attractive destination for conducting clinical trials. These include initiatives to improve start-up times, enhance patient recruitment, centralize trial management and enable access to high-quality medical data.

Be The Cure

Be the Cure is a provincial awareness campaign designed to educate Albertans about the importance of participating in clinical trials. Running for over five years, the campaign has reached across the province to create an engaged and informed population that understands the importance of clinical research. In addition, the associated health research database easily connects patients with research opportunities. As a result, Alberta has higher rates of participant uptake and faster trial recruitment timelines when compared to other provinces.

Connect Care

Connect Care is Alberta’s singular electronic medical records system, containing integrated health data for the entire provincial population (more than 4 million people). Based on the EPIC platform, this centralized system provides numerous advantages, including streamlined access to robust medical data, enhanced recruitment capabilities, and the ability to remotely monitor clinical trials conducted in the province.

OnCore Clinical Trial Management System

The University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, and Alberta Health Services have jointly adopted the new provincial Clinical Trial Management System (CTMS). The OnCore CTMS enhances Alberta’s clinical trial infrastructure by increasing efficiencies in trial management. The new system enables increased capacity for additional studies, standardization and adoption of best practices, and improved study quality, budget management, and regulatory compliance because of automated processes.

REB Exchange

The REB Exchange is an innovative technology platform that enables a single provincial ethics review for multi-site research conducted in Alberta. By providing a centralized, singular point of submission, the REB Exchange reduces study costs and increases efficiency by helping avoid duplication during the submission process, ensuring high quality reviews, and shortening study start-up times. It also allows for more efficient methods of reporting serious adverse events and reduces the need to engage multiple local research ethics boards.

The Real-World Evidence Consortium

Evidence that captures the impact of a process or technology on health outcomes outside of controlled clinical trials is highly valuable to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device manufacturers. The Alberta Real World Evidence Consortium allows for the analysis of key health data, including incidence and prevalence of disease in specific populations, treatment patterns such as sequencing, adherence, and persistence, safety monitoring, as well as comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. This is of particular value to pragmatic clinical trials and pre-study planning efforts.

Take your clinical trial to Alberta

Alberta is positioned as the premier destination for conducting high-quality clinical trials. To learn more about taking your next clinical trial to Alberta, or to connect with an Alberta investigator to further your research, contact us.