Introduction

Health Research BC commissioned a situational analysis of BC’s clinical trials ecosystem. The report evaluates the current state of the province’s clinical trials ecosystem, compares it with other provinces, and assesses BC’s overall competitiveness in clinical trials. 

The report identifies strengths, areas for improvement, and opportunities for enhancing BC’s clinical trial capabilities. 

It acknowledges the world-class facilities and expertise in BC. It also notes the province is underperforming when it comes to attracting clinical trial investments, lagging in per capita funding, and has challenges such as lengthy study start-up times, bureaucratic complexity, and underdeveloped infrastructure. 

Findings

Findings include actionable insights to enhance BC’s competitiveness:  

• establish an ecosystem convener
• mandate centralized and harmonized review mechanisms
• integrate clinical trials into clinical care
• leverage health data 

These recommendations are tailored to British Columbia to improve its competitive stance in clinical trials. 

Download the full report. 

The analysis included a comprehensive review of existing literature, policy documents, and reports related to British Columbia and comparator locations. Key interest holders were also interviewed to gain insights in support of implementing actions that will foster growth by increasing British Columbia’s competitiveness as a location to conduct clinical trials. 

Next steps 

Health Research BC is one organization within the province’s clinical trials ecosystem. We look forward to contributing activities and expertise within our mandate to those of other organizations to strengthen the clinical trials ecosystem in this province.