When the Ontario Universal Agreement for Clinical Trials (UACT) was launched, the goal was simple: reduce the time and effort spent negotiating clinical trial agreements so sponsors and institutions could focus on what matters most—bringing innovative clinical trials to patients and participants sooner.
More than a year later, organizations across Ontario are seeing the results.
We recently spoke with sponsors and institutions that have adopted the Ontario UACT to learn how the agreement is impacting study start-up, collaboration, and patient access. While each organization’s experience is unique, a common theme emerged: standardized contracting is helping reduce delays, strengthen partnerships, and create a more predictable pathway for launching clinical trials.
From reducing contract timelines from months to days to supporting stronger collaboration across Ontario’s clinical trials ecosystem, the Ontario UACT is helping organizations move studies forward more efficiently—and helping patients access research opportunities sooner.
A Shared Commitment to Doing Things Differently
Before the Ontario UACT, contract negotiations could take months, often involving extensive back-and-forth between sponsors and institutions.
“Having a standardized contract template in place has been a game changer for us,” said Saliha Boumaza, Clinical Research Director, Merck Canada.
For Bayer Canada, the motivation to support the Ontario UACT came from a desire to address long-standing barriers to study activation.
“We understood that there were a lot of roadblocks, especially in trial activation, and we were looking for a real, measurable solution,” said Monisha Nundy, Head of Clinical Operations, Bayer Canada. “The UACT brought together perspectives from sponsors, institutions, and sites around a shared goal of creating efficiencies in the contract review process.”
That collaborative spirit continues to be one of the initiative’s greatest strengths.
“The process has become more streamlined, but beyond that, we have seen strong engagement from institutions,” said Boumaza. “Some sites proactively reached out to us to begin discussions around signing and implementing the UACT.”
Turning Months into Days
One of the most tangible benefits of the Ontario UACT has been its impact on timelines.
At University Health Network (UHN), standardized agreements have helped dramatically reduce the time required for legal review.
“A traditional contract negotiation can take anywhere from 90 to 130 days from start to finish,” said Eleana Rodriguez, Director, Research Contracts, UHN. “Once the UACT is in place, legal review can be reduced to approximately five days.”
Bayer has seen similar results.
“The UACT sets a pre-agreed legal framework and acts as an unlock,” said Nundy. “We’ve reduced contract timelines from six to ten weeks to six to ten days.”
Since implementing the Ontario UACT, Bayer has signed agreements with 15 institutions across Ontario. In one study involving eight institutions, contract review timelines were reduced from three to six months to just six to 10 days, helping the study reach first patient in within 10 weeks.
For sponsors and institutions alike, these efficiencies mean less time spent negotiating familiar legal language and more time focused on launching studies.
“The UACT has significantly reduced the administrative burden and the amount of back-and-forth required during contract negotiations,” said Jennifer Cox, Manager, Clinical Research Agreements at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI).
“Instead of repeatedly negotiating indemnity clauses, record retention requirements, and other standard provisions, we can focus on study-specific issues such as patient numbers, timelines, and budgets.”
Building Stronger Partnerships
Beyond reducing timelines, the Ontario UACT is helping strengthen relationships between sponsors and institutions.
For Nundy, one of the biggest benefits is the foundation it creates.
“It builds a partnership with the site,” she said. “The groundwork is already in place.”
Cox agrees.
“The biggest benefit comes when both parties have already bought into the UACT. At that point, the largest hurdle has already been cleared.”
She often describes the Ontario UACT as creating a “contractual highway”—a faster and more predictable path for moving studies forward.
That predictability benefits everyone involved, from sponsors and institutions to research teams working hard to bring studies to life and to patients, who are waiting for access.
Helping Ontario Stay Competitive
As clinical trials become increasingly complex, organizations are looking for ways to remain competitive and attractive destinations for research.
“Global organizations are increasingly evaluating how quickly countries can activate studies when deciding where trials will be conducted,” said Boumaza. “Initiatives like the UACT make a meaningful difference in demonstrating that Canada can compete internationally.”
Rodriguez believes initiatives like the Ontario UACT help reinforce Ontario’s strengths.
“Ontario is already one of the most attractive jurisdictions in Canada because of its patient population, research institutions, and partnerships,” she said. “Programs like the UACT strengthen that position by making it easier for sponsors to conduct research here.”
The success of the Ontario UACT is also attracting attention beyond Ontario, with growing interest from organizations across Canada looking to explore similar approaches.
Never Losing Sight of the Why
While conversations about contracts often focus on efficiency, timelines, and processes, every interview returned to the same theme: patients.
At Merck, patient access was one of the primary reasons for supporting the initiative from the beginning.
“Our objective was to improve study start-up timelines in order to provide faster access to clinical trials and innovative medicines for Canadian patients,” said Boumaza.
Rodriguez regularly reminds her team of that connection.
“When you work in contracts, it can be easy to become disconnected from the patient impact of the work,” she said. “Every time we activate a study, it has a direct impact on patients.”
“There is a person on the other side who may be waiting for a treatment option. Sometimes a clinical trial is their last option.”
More than a year after its launch, the Ontario UACT has proven to be more than a contract. It is a collaborative framework that is helping sponsors and institutions reduce delays, improve predictability, and accelerate study start-up. Most importantly, it is helping ensure that patients can access clinical trials and innovative treatments sooner.