Canadian Pediatric Trials Network

Canadian Pediatric Trials Network
Name	Canadian Pediatric Trials Network
Formation	2010
Type	Research network
Purpose	Pediatric clinical trials coordination
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Leader title	Scientific Director
Leader name	Not specified

Contents

Canadian Pediatric Trials Network

The Canadian Pediatric Trials Network operates as a national clinical research network dedicated to pediatric clinical trials across Canada. It coordinates multicenter studies with hospitals such as Hospital for Sick Children, BC Children's Hospital, Montreal Children's Hospital, and Alberta Children's Hospital, engaging stakeholders from institutions like Health Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and provincial ministries such as Ontario Ministry of Health and British Columbia Ministry of Health. The network collaborates with international bodies including World Health Organization, European Medicines Agency, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and academic centers such as Harvard Medical School, University of Toronto, McGill University, and University of British Columbia.

History

The network was founded amid discussions involving leaders from Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Paediatric Society, Pediatric Chairs of Canada, and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation to address gaps identified after landmark events including the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act debates and policy shifts following the Institute of Medicine (US) reports on pediatric drug research. Early pilot projects drew on expertise from hospitals such as SickKids Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, BC Children's Research Institute, and researchers affiliated with universities like McMaster University, Queen's University, Université de Montréal, and Dalhousie University. The network's initial trials were influenced by methodologies promoted by organizations such as CONSORT, SPIRIT, and regulatory guidance from Health Canada and Food and Drug Administration.

Governance includes a board and scientific committees populated by clinicians and researchers from institutions like Hospital for Sick Children, BC Children's Hospital, Stollery Children's Hospital, Alberta Children's Hospital, Montreal Children's Hospital, and universities such as University of Calgary, University of Ottawa, Université Laval, and Western University. Advisory groups feature representatives from advocacy groups including March of Dimes Canada, SickKids Foundation, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada, and patient engagement organizations such as Parents Canada. Operational units coordinate with regulatory bodies like Health Canada and ethics oversight by research ethics boards associated with University Health Network and provincial ethics consortia like the Ontario Research Ethics Board. Data oversight and biostatistics support are provided by teams linked to ICES (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences), Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies, and university-based cores at McGill University Health Centre.

Programs cover therapeutic areas including neonatology with trials at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), cardiology trials involving The Hospital for Sick Children and Montreal Heart Institute, and infectious diseases studies with partners like BC Centre for Disease Control and Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Clinical trials incorporate pediatrics-focused trial designs influenced by work from Paediatric Trials Network (US), European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure, and methodologists at Statistics Canada-linked groups and university biostatistics departments at University of Alberta and McMaster University. The network has run randomized controlled trials, pharmacokinetic studies, and vaccine trials collaborating with manufacturers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Sanofi, and biotech firms anchored in innovation hubs like MaRS Discovery District.

Collaborations span hospitals, universities, industry partners, and international networks. Academic collaborators include University of Toronto, McGill University, Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, McMaster University, and Dalhousie University. Hospital partners include Hospital for Sick Children, BC Children's Hospital, CHU Sainte-Justine, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and Stollery Children's Hospital. International links involve World Health Organization, European Medicines Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS and Childhood Infection, and consortia such as Global Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. Industry partners and funders include multinational pharmaceutical companies and philanthropic organizations like CIHR Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, and Canadian funders such as Canadian Institutes of Health Research and foundations like SickKids Foundation.

Funding streams combine grants from agencies such as Canadian Institutes of Health Research, infrastructure support from Canada Foundation for Innovation, provincial health research funding from entities like Ontario Ministry of Health research programs, and contract research income from industry partners including Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. Ethical oversight aligns with standards promulgated by bodies such as Tri-Council Policy Statement, Health Canada regulations, and institutional review boards at University Health Network and provincial ethics consortia. Patient assent and parental consent practices are modeled on guidance from Canadian Paediatric Society, UNICEF, and international frameworks like the Declaration of Helsinki.

The network has contributed to improved pediatric evidence by generating clinical data adopted in clinical practice guidelines issued by organizations including the Canadian Paediatric Society, Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, Ontario Pediatric Association, and specialty societies such as the Canadian Paediatric Society Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee and Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Outcomes include published trials in journals linked to Canadian Medical Association Journal, The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Pediatrics (journal), and Journal of Pediatrics, and influences on drug labeling coordinated with Health Canada and international regulators like the European Medicines Agency and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Knowledge translation efforts have engaged partners such as SickKids Foundation, March of Dimes Canada, and provincial health authorities to change practice in neonatology, infectious disease, and pediatric pharmacotherapy.

Category:Medical research networks in Canada