February 3, 2025, Toronto, ON: CanReview, a new pan-Canadian collaboration supported by the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium, is set to strengthen the country’s clinical trials environment. Selected by an independent panel after an open competition in November 2024, CanReview has begun collaborating across the country to build a broadly accessible, Canada-wide single research ethics review system. CanReview will enable all research sites participating in a multi-site clinical trial to undergo one ethics review, while ensuring the highest ethical standards.
“Ethics reviews are critical to protecting the rights and welfare of people participating in clinical trials,” says Donna Lillie, who brings her perspective as a caregiver to the CanReview Leadership Team. “But are ethics so different across the country that researchers require separate approvals at every clinical trial site? We have the opportunity to build a system that safeguards the highest ethical standards, while moving research forward more quickly and increasing equitable access to trials and treatments. Canadians want and need this.”
CanReview will provide research teams and sponsors with a common point of entry and consistent requirements for high-quality, timely ethics review, conducted by a CanReview Validated Research Ethics Board (REB). The system will leverage CTO Stream, an adaptable online platform for single research ethics review that has managed more than 2,500 multi-site studies and supported nearly 10,000 users since 2015. Studies needing within-province reviews will have access to the online platform, enabling local REBs to see applications, materials, and comments from the REB of Record to streamline their process and support local requirements.
“We’re calling it a collaboration because we truly want to engage with everyone,” says Jacqueline Senych, doctoral nurse and diversity advocate who brings an Indigenous perspective to the CanReview Leadership Team. “We are committed to partnering locally to co-develop proactive supports and advocate for legislative changes that support a single research ethics review for multi-site trials in Canada.”
As CanReview moves forward, the collaboration is seeking volunteers to join its Indigenous Research Ethics Advisory Group and its tactical teams to support an REB validation process, develop a single consent form, establish system timelines, and more. This includes individuals who identify as patient partners/people with lived experience.
“CanReview is more than a platform, it’s a framework to collaborate and reshape Canada’s clinical trials environment to set us up for long-term competitiveness on a global stage,” says Susan Marlin, CanReview Leadership Team member and President and CEO of Clinical Trials Ontario. “Together, we can build on existing successes to achieve a single research ethics review system that benefits all people in Canada.”
“Many countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have a single national REB approval process,” says P. J. Devereaux, Nominated Prinicpal Applicant for the ACT Consortium. “Now it’s Canada’s turn. This initiative will not only improve clinical trials efficiency and avoid unnecessary duplication, but it will create a stronger, more collaborative clinical trials ecosystem across the country.”
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Wellie Chihaluca
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About CanReview
CanReview is a pan-Canadian collaboration supported by the Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Consortium to enable single research ethics review for multi-site clinical trials conducted across Canada, while ensuring the highest ethical standards. Collaborating with Research Ethics Boards, research teams, Indigenous community members, institutions and sponsors, patients and family partners and many others, we are co-developing a system to enhance efficiencies and increase Canada’s competitiveness, expand clinical trials to underserved, rural and remote locations, and promote equitable access to trial participation. Together, we are building a Canada-wide ethics review system that benefits all people in Canada. Learn more and engage with CanReview at www.canreview.ca.