The CATALIS Network Supports Provincial Efforts for an Even More Innovative and Productive Clinical Research Environment

Since its inception, CATALIS Quebec’s government mandate has been to act as a neutral and agile entity for mobilizing and coordinating efforts aimed at optimizing Quebec’s clinical research environment. CATALIS has facilitated more than 280 advisory committees and working groups with members of the CATALIS Network to optimize the operational and administrative components of clinical trials conducted in the Health and Social Services Network (HSSN) and develop common tools, harmonized processes, and provincial services to achieve a high level of performance.

Having weathered a pandemic that disrupted the clinical research environment, the CATALIS Network must now adapt to yet another transformation in research at the global, national, and provincial levels.

The future of global clinical research is shifting towards the accessibility and use of:

1. Clinical administrative data to more easily determine whether a study is feasible and identify sites, recruit participants faster and promote international collaboration among researchers.
2. Real-World Evidence (RWE) to convey critical information about the everyday health of patients and understand how treatments work when applied in clinical practice environments by health professionals.
3. Artificial intelligence tools to accelerate and automate certain tasks in clinical trials, such as data analysis and patient selection. AI can also be used to predict clinical outcomes and identify the most effective patient treatments.
4. Precision medicine and other novel therapies (cell and gene therapies, etc.) that use a patient’s genetic and molecular information to personalize treatments and medical care.
5. Decentralized clinical trials (virtual and hybrid) that provide a more flexible and accessible environment. Patient data is collected remotely, eliminating the need for regular visits to a medical centre.
6. New clinical trial designs (e.g., adaptive trials) that provide a more effective, flexible and ethical approach to clinical research, while reducing costs.
7. Patient diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles that are the key to delivering health care that is equitable, effective and safe for everyone.

Nationally, Health Canada will implement its 2024-2025 Departmental Plan which aims to modernize regulatory oversight and increase regulatory flexibility for drugs and medical devices; whereas in Quebec, this transformation of the clinical research ecosystem is impacted by (1) the newly-adopted Bill 5 aimed at better access to health information, (2) the implementation of a new Digital Health Record (DHR), and (3) the adoption of Bill 15 (Santé Québec) to make the health and social services system more efficient.

Find out how the CATALIS Network is adapting to changes in the clinical research environment through its New 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.