The provincial government of British Columbia has announced a new regional clinical trials unit (CTU) to be based out of a Vancouver hospital priced at $4.2m.

The West Canadian province is investing the money to create a six-bed unit for Phase I clinical trials at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, set to be operational by the end of 2024, making it the only non-cancer Phase I CTU in Western Canada.

At the same time, the province is also providing $2.4m to the University of British Columbia (UBC) to support the establishment of an endowed research chair. This will be aimed at providing academic input for the CTU as well as establishing an integrated research and education programme in clinical pharmacology at the university.

The new CTU will be operated by regional provider Providence Healthcare, which also intends to construct a purpose-built Phase I to III clinical trials unit at the clinical support and research centre (CSRC) at St. Paul’s Hospital, also in Vancouver.

The province’s health research agency Michael Smith Health Research BC will also contribute an additional $1.2m as it looks for opportunities to support the new CTU.

The move comes as part of the province’s StrongerBC Economic Plan’s Life Sciences and Biomanufacturing Strategy, a regional government plan to dramatically expand the economic sector.

According to GlobalData’s Clinical Trial Database, British Columbia had played host to 179 clinical trials in 2022. Between 2018 and 2022 the province only conducted 50 Phase I clinical trials. GlobalData is the parent company of Clinical Trials Arena.

Adrian Dix, minister of health for British Columbia, said: “Growing B.C.’s capacity for clinical trials is not only going to further scientific advancement, it is going to save lives."

“By investing in the new clinical trials unit, we are paving the way for groundbreaking life sciences innovation that will advance health care in our province for years to come and help more patients in B.C. achieve better health outcomes.”