Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) - Canada

We have established the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium to strengthen the conduct of clinical trials in Canada. ACT brings together hundreds of researchers from 28 networks, 11 trial units, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and Nunavut. ACT will support and expand existing networks and enable the creation of new networks to improve the efficiency, number, and quality of trials conducted in Canada. ACT will increase the impact of clinical trials in Canada: ACT will lead collaboration, coordination, and resource-sharing across networks to enable Canada's best researchers and companies to more efficiently complete high-quality, high-impact clinical trials. ACT will build clinical trial capacity: ACT will provide 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. We will expand Canadian networks internationally. ACT will maximize research impact and knowledge mobilization: ACT will follow best practices in patient-oriented research and integrated knowledge translation. We will leverage national and international contacts to maximize research impact and knowledge mobilization. Advance equitable access to trials for Canadians: ACT will follow the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in clinical trials such that the knowledge gained is applicable to all those affected. Many trials will be embedded into routine healthcare, enabling the inclusion of all patients regardless of ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status. Conclusion: The ACT consortium has the expertise and vision to increase the conduct of inclusive, cost-efficient, high-quality, high-impact clinical trials in Canada. We will help Canadian researchers accelerate the management and prevention of chronic diseases and to respond rapidly to new health threats and pandemics.