British Columbia has taken a major step toward strengthening its life sciences sector with the launch of an eight-bed Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, backed by more than $4 million in provincial funding.
The new facility fills a critical gap in early-stage drug development, giving B.C.-based companies the ability to conduct Phase 1 clinical trials for non-oncology treatments—including antibody therapies, gene therapies, vaccines, and medical devices—without leaving the province.
“Part of this work has included promoting B.C.'s life-sciences sector to international audiences at events like Bio Boston,” said Ravi Kahlon, 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.”
Until now, companies had to take their earliest trials out of province, which often meant losing intellectual property and potential economic benefits. With the new CTU, researchers can test the safety and dosage of new treatments on healthy volunteers under full medical supervision—an essential step toward regulatory approval.
Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, said the launch “will drive the development of cutting-edge therapies and give B.C. life-sciences companies a clear pathway from invention to final approval. Until now, Phase 1 clinical trials for non-oncology conditions weren’t possible in B.C. 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.”
Industry leaders also welcomed the move. Anne Stevens, vice-president of business development at AbCellera, said 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.”
Darryl Knight, president of Providence Research and vice-president of research and academic affairs at Providence Health Care, described the CTU as a long-needed addition to the province’s drug development landscape. “The immediate benefit is provincial access to early-phase clinical trials which, up to now, has been missing,” he said. “Phase 1 clinical trials conducted on healthy volunteers in the first instance are the gateway to Health Canada approval. Early access to new therapies translates into improved health outcomes for people in B.C. and tangible economic benefits for the province.”
The province invested more than $4 million to create the CTU, with Michael Smith Health Research BC contributing an additional $1.2 million, including $600,000 to the unit and $600,000 to support a professorship at the University of British Columbia. The new unit is part of the B.C. Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing Strategy, which was developed in consultation with industry and academia to position the province as a global hub for research, drug development, and biomanufacturing.