FAST TRACK Evaluation Service: Tangible Results for Sites, Sponsors, and Patients

The FAST TRACK Evaluation Service continues to demonstrate its ability to significantly reduce clinical trial authorization and activation timelines in Quebec. The most recent supported projects clearly illustrate the added value of the Service for sponsors, healthcare institutions, and patients, who benefit from faster access to therapeutic innovations.

Thanks to centralized coordination and the mobilization of partner institutions, several recent studies achieved remarkable performance milestones, including first site activations in Canada, the recruitment of the first patient nationwide, the onboarding of a new sponsor using the Service for the first time, and the positioning of several Québec sites among the top-performing sites worldwide. These results further demonstrate Québec’s ability to provide a high-performing and competitive environment for the rapid start-up of clinical trials.

WO46069 by Roche – Breast Cancer

This study, conducted in five participating institutions in Quebec, confirms the strength of the partnership between Roche and the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service. Among these institutions, three sites (Santé Québec – CHU de Québec – Université Laval, Santé Québec Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal – Universitaire et Santé Québec – Centre universitaire de santé McGill) obtained authorizations within 8 to 9.4 weeks and achieved activation in approximately 15 weeks. CHU de Québec – Université Laval stood out by becoming the first site activated in Canada.

CA266‑0003 by Bristol Myers Squibb – Colorectal Cancer

This study, conducted in three institutions (Santé Québec – Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Santé Québec Estrie – Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, and Santé Québec Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal – Universitaire (Jewish General Hospital)), was distinguished by exceptional performance at CHUM, which achieved the national First Patient In (FPI) in just 12 weeks. Authorization timelines ranged from 7 to 11 weeks, and activations were completed in approximately 10 to 12 weeks, confirming the Service’s impact in highly competitive international contexts.

CHTT227A12301 by Novartis – Huntington’s Disease

Novartis’ CHTT227A12301 study, conducted in patients with Huntington’s disease, demonstrates Québec institutions’ ability to rank among the highest-performing clinical trial sites worldwide. Conducted at two participating institutions—Santé Québec – Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro)—the study achieved institutional authorizations in 8 to 9.6 weeks and site activation in 12.4 to 15 weeks. CHUM was the first site activated in Canada and the second worldwide.

HF-POLARIS (NN9490-8266) by Novo Nordisk – Heart Failure

The FAST TRACK Evaluation Service continues to attract strong interest from the pharmaceutical industry. The HF-POLARIS (NN9490-8266) study, the first Novo Nordisk trial to use the program, marks the arrival of a new sponsor within the Service and reflects its growing recognition among pharmaceutical companies.

A Strategic Lever to Accelerate Health Innovation

These recent results are part of the overall performance of the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service, whose median authorization and activation timelines rank among the fastest in Canada. They reflect the strong commitment of healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and CATALIS teams to positioning Quebec as a preferred environment for rapid clinical trial start-up.

Thanks to this collective effort, CATALIS and its Network of partners are proud to drive innovation in clinical research and to reduce authorization timelines for privately funded clinical trials by more than 65% compared to those conducted outside the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service, thereby accelerating the development of, and access to, innovative treatments for patients.

CATALIS would like to thank all its public and private partners for their trust, their contribution to the development of innovative approval processes, and their commitment to implementing accelerated clinical trials in Quebec.

Looking to accelerate the start-up of your clinical trials in Quebec?

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CATALIS offers a free Personalized Support Service to help guide you in your search for clinical trials. You can also access Clinical Trials Quebec’s information and services hub. This site contains easy-to-understand educational content, animated infographics, and free tools which will help you to better understand clinical research and what happens during a clinical trial. Information about the studies mentioned is available in the Quebec’s Public Clinical Trials Database.