What is a clinical trial?
Before a new treatment can be made available to all potential patients, it must be deemed effective and well tolerated. A clinical trial, or study in humans, is a mandatory part of the process leading to the approval of potential treatment by health authorities. The treatment, or "investigational product", might be a new vaccine, drug, or combination of drugs, or it could be a new way to use an existing compound.
A clinical trial is designed to either:
- validate the new drug or vaccine,
- define the patient populations in which a potential treatment would be most effective.
In the study, the effect of the investigational product is compared to either a placebo (a substance with no pharmacological activity) or an existing treatment to determine whether it is safe and effective. Over the course of a full clinical trial, researchers aim to determine:
- the effective dose regimen,
- its possible toxicity, and the nature and frequency of any adverse events it may cause.
A leader in clinical research in Canada
As one of the top three R&D spenders within the Canadian pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and consistently a top spender as a percentage of revenue, we are focused on developing innovative therapies in areas such as oncology, diabetes and cardiology.
Cooperative projects with many partners
The Clinical Study Unit in Canada contributes significantly to Sanofi’s global efforts to develop new treatments. Our teams are currently overseeing some 80 Sanofi-sponsored clinical studies in a wide range of therapeutic areas, working with clinics and hospitals across the country.
Clinical studies are crucial in determining whether a particular drug is safe and effective, at which dosage, and any potential side effects. Only with all these data can regulatory approval (Health Canada’s “Notice of Compliance”) be obtained and the medicine made available to patients. Once a medicine is on the market, additional studies may be performed to learn more about its effectiveness and safety in various patient groups.
Ongoing clinical activities in Canada
80+
company-sponsored studies currently underway
25+
investigator-sponsored trials currently underway
3,300+
patients taking part from coast to coast
Investigator-Sponsored Studies
Sanofi is committed to supporting medically and scientifically sound research aimed at the advancement of disease knowledge and potential treatments in therapeutic areas of interest to Sanofi with the goal of advancing patient care.