CATALIS Quebec Highlights a Record Year for Clinical Research: $166.2 Million in Private Investments in Quebec Institutions

MONTREAL, Sept. 29, 2026 /CNW/ -- During its Annual General Meeting, CATALIS Quebec presented a review of its 2025-2026 fiscal year. In a context marked by major transformations within the healthcare system and intense international competition to attract clinical trials, the organization helped strengthen Quebec's position as one of the world's top-performing environments for conducting clinical trials, notably through its FAST TRACK Evaluation Service. Private investments associated with clinical trials conducted in Quebec health institutions reached a record $166.2 million, an increase of 15.6% compared with the previous year and 72.7% since 2020-2021. These investments not only contribute to Quebec's economic development but also provide patients with greater access to innovative treatments currently under evaluation.

This growth was accompanied by sustained activity across the entire Quebec network. In 2025-2026, more than 800 clinical trial evaluation requests were submitted, representing the highest volume observed in the past six years. Industry-funded clinical trials increased by 12% over the previous year, a rise largely driven by late-phase studies, which require a greater number of participating sites and expand patient access to tomorrow's treatments.

"The organization's results demonstrate that when health institutions, researchers, patients, the pharmaceutical industry, and government partners work together, Quebec can compete with the world's leading clinical research hubs. Thanks to this collective commitment, we achieved record levels of investment and clinical research activity. These results reinforce Quebec's position as a destination of choice for clinical research and allow us to continue pursuing our mission: accelerating patient access to therapeutic innovations while contributing to Quebec's economic development." said Christine Lennon, President and Chief Executive Officer of CATALIS Quebec.

The FAST TRACK Evaluation Service Continues to Grow

The 2025-2026 fiscal year also marked the fourth anniversary of CATALIS's FAST TRACK Evaluation Service, a provincial service designed to accelerate the evaluation and authorization of industry-funded clinical trials in Quebec. The number of sites participating in the Service doubled in one year, increasing from 69 to 139 sites. Nearly one-quarter (22.5%) of all industry-funded clinical trials submitted in Quebec were processed through the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service in 2025-2026.

In 2025-2026, the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service also contributed to strengthening Quebec's international profile in clinical trials. Through the Service, five Quebec sites were the first in the world to be activated, and four of the world's first participants were enrolled in clinical trials sponsored by leading international pharmaceutical companies. The fact that several Quebec sites supported by the FAST TRACK Evaluation Service achieved first-in-world site activation status or were the first to recruit participants in their studies demonstrates the competitiveness and responsiveness of Quebec's clinical research network.

The results continue to demonstrate the Service's concrete impact on study start-up timelines. In 2025-2026, the median authorization timeline for industry-funded clinical trials was 10.2 weeks through the Service, compared with 29.3 weeks outside the Service.

The Service also achieved a 94.6% satisfaction rate among its public- and private-sector users.

An Increasingly Mobilized Provincial Ecosystem

CATALIS continued to play a leading role in mobilizing Quebec's clinical research ecosystem. The CATALIS Network now brings together more than 250 experts, 27 health and social services institutions, 20 member pharmaceutical companies, and 34 patient organizations, in addition to patient partners actively involved in the organization's work.

Over the past year, Network experts collaborated on the development, update, and deployment of numerous provincial common tools designed to make clinical research more efficient, harmonized, and attractive to trial sponsors. Key achievements included the harmonization of ethics review practices, improvements to pharmacy suitability evaluation processes, optimization of contract and budget negotiations, and support for institutions in strengthening their quality assurance practices.

CATALIS also continued its efforts to strengthen expertise within Quebec's clinical research ecosystem. Several training capsules and provincial guidance documents were developed and deployed, including the new Clinical Research 101 training programs designed for researchers, research professionals, and the general public.

Expanding Quebec's Visibility

The 2025-2026 fiscal year was also marked by the launch of a new sponsor-focused section of the Clinical Trials Quebec information and services hub, designed to showcase Quebec's clinical research capabilities. The platform includes directories of health institutions, biotechnology service providers, and patient organizations, as well as practical tools to support the conduct of clinical trials in Quebec.

"The results achieved over the past year demonstrate the value of the collaborative model developed by CATALIS for the benefit of Quebec's entire clinical research ecosystem. The organization continues to deliver tangible outcomes for patients, researchers, health institutions, and the pharmaceutical industry alike. The Board of Directors is proud of the progress made and of the strong foundations that have been established to support the future growth of the Network and Quebec's clinical research ecosystem." said Jean Groleau, Chair of the Board of Directors of CATALIS.

Changes to the Board of Directors

During the Annual General Meeting, members recognized the significant contributions of Diane Gosselin and Monique Lacroix, who are completing their terms on the Board of Directors. CATALIS sincerely thanks them both for their commitment, leadership, and contribution to the organization's growth and development.

Members also welcomed Dominique Johnson, Ph.D., Executive Director of the McPeak-Sirois Group, and Pascal Martel, FCPA, Tax & Legal Managing Partner, Quebec Region, KPMG Canada, to the Board of Directors. Their appointment will further strengthen the Board's collective expertise and support CATALIS through the next stages of its development for the benefit of Quebec's clinical research ecosystem.

About CATALIS Quebec

CATALIS Québec is an independent not-for-profit organization formally mandated and funded by the Government of Québec to mobilize and coordinate provincial efforts related to the implementation and optimization of processes, infrastructures, and provincial services supporting clinical research in Quebec. To fulfill this mandate, CATALIS works directly with the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (Ministry of Health and Social Services), the ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy), Santé Québec (Health Québec), and a broad Network of public and private partners. For more information, visit CATALIS Quebec website at https://catalisquebec.com/en/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

Media inquiries:

Thomas de Brouwer
Communications Manager
CATALIS Quebec
[email protected] 

SOURCE CATALIS Quebec