Sunnybrook hospital receives $41M investment from Weston family for clinical trial research

A member of a medical team prepares an MRI machine before a procedure at Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital on Tuesday May 1, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has received a $41 million donation from Canada’s Weston family aimed at expanding clinical trial infrastructure and establish an improve framework for clinical trial research.

The donation, announced on Friday, represents one of the most “powerful” philanthropic investments in the hospital’s history. The hospital says this gift is intended to integrate clinical trials into the standard of patient care, reducing the time it takes to bring trial discoveries to patients.

“This generous gift accelerates a full team effort and shift across Sunnybrook to champion clinical trials as clinical care,” Dr. Andy Smith, President of and CEO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre said in a news release.

“Now more Canadians will access new therapies, more global trials will be led from Canada, and discoveries made here will impact care worldwide.”

Sunnybrook says a portion of the $41 million will be allocated to technical infrastructure, including precision diagnostics, biobanking and data management, and efforts focused towards industry relations.

The funding will also support three leadership positions: a Clinical Trials Chair, a Clinical Trials Methodology Chair, and an Executive Director. These roles will oversee the design and execution of research protocols across the hospital’s various programs.

“This investment is a catalyst that will allow us to modernize how trials are conducted in Canada,” said Smith.