Sunnybrook Announces $41-Million Gift to Advance Canada’s Global Leadership in Clinical Trials

The catalytic philanthropic investment will help bring new promising therapies to more Canadians sooner.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is proud to announce a $41M philanthropic investment in Sunnybrook Clinical Trials. The investment expands dedicated infrastructure, capacity and expertise across Sunnybrook to optimize how clinical trials are designed and delivered. This will significantly accelerate the journey from discovery to patient impact, delivering promising therapies to more patients faster, and positioning Canada as a global leader in high-impact clinical trials.

“Canada has the scientific strength and capability to lead clinical trials on the global stage, but too often progress is slowed by fragmented processes, inadequate infrastructure and limited capacity. The time to solve this is now,” says Dr. Andy Smith, President and CEO, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “This generous gift accelerates a full team effort and shift across Sunnybrook to champion clinical trials as clinical care. Now more Canadians will access new therapies, more global trials will be led from Canada, and discoveries made here will impact care worldwide.”

The commitment establishes dedicated clinical trials leadership – a Clinical Trials Chair, Clinical Trials Methodology Chair and Executive Director – and expands specialized roles that support activation, implementation, precision diagnostics, biobanking, data management and industry relations. The investment also creates opportunities for first-time investigators and strengthens the expertise required to accelerate novel treatments from discovery to patient impact.

“Catalytic philanthropy is rare – and this is the most powerful example in Sunnybrook's history. This gift goes beyond funding clinical trials to establishing and expanding the infrastructure, leadership and capacity that will ensure the most promising therapies reach patients faster, and that Canada leads that work on the global stage,” says Kelly Cole, President & CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation. “Together, arm in arm with our donor community, Team Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care, and ensuring Canadian discoveries lead the way.”

This philanthropic investment was made possible through the generosity of the Weston family. Sunnybrook Clinical Trials builds on established Canadian health-care excellence at Sunnybrook, with advanced precision technologies, access to large, diverse patient populations, and clinician-scientists whose findings shape standards of care worldwide. These include world-first and Canada-first clinical trials across focused ultrasound, cancer, critical care, trauma, heart, high-risk pregnancy, bone and joint care, and more.

To learn more about the Sunnybrook Clinical Trials, visit: Sunnybrook.ca/ClinicalTrials.

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care with over 1.1 million patient visits each year and more than 16,000 dedicated staff, learners and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres.

Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and leading national program for the care of Canada's war veterans.

For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care, please visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca.