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The Future of Health: Working Together for a Stronger Canada

First published May 29, 2025 on TheFutureEconomy.ca 

By Brigitte Nolet, President & CEO of Roche Pharma Canada

Canada stands at a critical juncture that will shape its future in health, presenting both significant challenges and possibilities. Our aging population, strained health workforce, and economic and geopolitical uncertainties demand urgent attention. Yet, within this landscape of uncertainty lies an unparalleled opportunity for collaboration. It is essential for business leaders, policymakers, and experts to join forces in support of dynamic sectors like the life sciences. By doing so, we can improve health outcomes for patients, bolster our economy, create well-paying jobs, retain talent within our borders, and nurture vibrant health and research ecosystems.

A stable and productive life sciences sector is the foundation of strong economies and healthy communities. Statistics Canada reported that, in 2022 alone, the life sciences sector in Canada invested up to $3.2 billion in research and development, supported over 110,000 high-value full-time jobs, and generated $18.4 billion in economic activity in Canada. According to McKinsey and Company, for every $1 invested in health, there is an economic return of between $2-$4 dollars.

At this moment, we are just scratching the surface of what is possible. Unlocking the full potential of the life sciences sector won’t happen by accident. It requires proactive, supportive policy environments for innovation and coordinated efforts across the country. It also requires us to understand our competitive advantages and go “all in” on them with intention and focus. 

Roche Canada recently partnered with TheFutureEconomy.ca to produce the Future of Health series, where subject matter experts and health leaders explored strategies to advance the Canadian healthcare system. A common thread throughout these discussions was the importance of collaboration in driving transformative outcomes. Building on these insights, let's examine three critical areas where a unified approach could significantly enhance our healthcare system: connected health data, clinical trials, and access to innovation.

Connecting Canadian Health Data

As Canada advances towards connected care, the production of critical health data is rapidly increasing. The country's ten provinces and three territories, which are responsible for the delivery and management of healthcare within their jurisdictions, are making significant progress in various ways. However, as Abhinav Kalra, Executive Vice President of Connected Care, Canada Health Infoway, explains, this results in data and system fragmentation. The need of the hour? Standardization. National health data partners have been doing incredible work to establish pan-Canadian interoperations. 

So how can we champion and amplify these efforts? 

  1. We can build modern health data infrastructure using shared standards to ensure the capture of quality data. Implement best-in-class governance frameworks to enable appropriate flow and usage, ultimately enhancing patient and systems outcomes.

  2. We, as institutions, can build trust with the public. Julia Burt, Public Engagement Operational Lead at Health Data Research Network Canada, proposes developing trustworthy practices, including public engagement and transparent data processes.

  3. We must use the data! We can gain experience in using non-traditional health data to make all levels of decision-making in healthcare more timely and accurate, from regulatory and access decisions, to clinical care.

Lastly, we must be vocal. A 2023 Canada Health Infoway survey of 10,000 Canadians found 81% wanted access to their personal health data, and 85% agreed that their health information should be electronically shared among healthcare providers. As the rest of the world invests in connected data for patients, Canada must also prioritize these investments.

When we are equipped with quality health data, magic happens. Dr. James White, Director of Precision Medicine, Libin Cardiovascular Institute at the University of Calgary, shares that teams around the world are repurposing health data to change how medicine is practised. Large registries containing tens of thousands of patients have delivered novel insights into predicting future outcomes, especially in heart disease. However, with the millions of data points available, physicians need help to analyze it all. 

That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a critical asset. As Laurent Tillement, Director of AI and Health Partnerships, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute and Ryan MacDonald, Director, Health AI Implementation, Vector Institute explain, AI can be applied wherever data exists. It spans across prevention, diagnosis, patient monitoring and administrative tasks. It can improve processes, streamline supply chains, and improve efficiencies.

To enable this great potential, there must be coordinated activity to put in place policy enablers that strike the right balance between safety and innovation, such as:

  1. Support healthcare organizations wanting to acquire, develop and implement scalable AI innovations.

  2. Enable regulators to update their practice and frameworks to address public concerns regarding responsible AI.

  3. Invest strategically in infrastructure to enable Canadian AI innovation.

At Roche Canada, we recognize the strength of AI, and have worked alongside many key partners to drive its integration into healthcare. In November 2020, we launched AI with Roche, a partnership with Mila, the Vector Institute, and Amii to accelerate digital transformation in healthcare. This past November, we partnered with the Ontario government to expand our global informatics division in Canada, adding up to 250 highly skilled jobs in areas like AI, machine learning, and computational biology. These jobs will advance Roche’s understanding of diseases and help deliver innovations to patients faster.

Unified Approach to Clinical Trials

While we are looking at breaking down interprovincial trade barriers, which I applaud, I’d encourage us to bring that same collaborative mindset to address the challenges and expedite the progress of clinical trials. We have to stop approaching clinical trials as a competition between provinces and work together under a united national front. This is how we attract greater investment and cutting-edge healthcare innovation to Canada. 

This more proactive, coordinated approach to clinical trials can look like: 

  • making investments to increase the pace at which Canadians gain access and participate in trials, 

  • accelerating clinical trial start up through master clinical trial agreements,

  • improving or streamlining approaches to research ethics board (REB) submissions and reviews, and 

  • enhancing and providing support for greater diversity in our trials. 

Dr. P.J. Devereaux, Director of the Division of Perioperative Care, McMaster University and Population Health Research Institute, remarks that Canada punches above its weight class when it comes to conducting impactful clinical trials. We have highly qualified personnel who lead research that influences healthcare worldwide. Canada is a G7 leader in clinical trial productivity, and in 2023, were ranked third globally for the total number of new clinical trials and fourth for the total number of active trials. However, to remain competitive, we must collaborate across Canada to enhance our speed and agility in initiating, executing and designing trials that reach a broader range of individuals from community centres to large academic centres. We owe it to Canadian patients to do all we can to provide faster access to these innovative treatments.

Access to Innovation

Canadians relying on public insurance plans face significant delays in accessing new medicines, largely due to Canada’s sequential approval and funding processes. For this reason, Canadians wait an average of two years to get access to Health Canada approved medicines through public plans - which is double the wait time in comparable Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) countries. Faster access to new medicines can improve health outcomes for patients, increase their quality of life, and reduce the socioeconomic burden of disease.

This is not to say progress isn’t being made. The CDA has taken important steps to speed up access to new treatments, including its Target Zero initiative, which aims to have zero days between Health Canada regulatory approval of an innovative medicine and the reimbursement recommendation for public drug plans. Moreover, last December, the Council of the Federation, our Canadian Premiers, pledged to speed up approvals to get essential cancer drugs to patients at least nine months faster. This is great news, but imagine if we continued to collaborate nationwide, fostering strong public-private partnerships to ensure all innovative medicines reached the Canadians who need them, when they need them. 

Public-private partnerships can also broaden access and treatment options for Canadians. A research study led by Horizon Health Network in New Brunswick and supported by Roche Canada is delivering cancer immunotherapy treatment to patients in their home through a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection, for the first time in Canada. At a time when hospitals are facing significant capacity restraints, this project enables more flexible and accessible treatment, especially for patients who can face challenges arranging travel to and from treatment. Jennifer Sheils, Vice President Strategy, Transformation & Chief Innovation Officer, Horizon Health Network, asserts that for healthcare to remain sustainable, we must embrace these types of industry partnerships to address our challenges. We must also work closely with patients. Erin Cook, Director, Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Value, Ethics and Virtual Care, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, remarks that by focusing on outcomes that matter to patients, we reduce the frequency of care they need and potentially lower overall costs. 

A Call to Action Across Canada

When a patient is facing a challenge, they should be able to rely on a healthcare system that does not create further burden. Now more than ever, it is critical to share responsibility to meet patient needs, and turn ideas into action that will improve healthcare. 

I had the pleasure of hosting Episode 1 of the Future of Health series with my guest Alison Evans, President and CEO of Research Canada. Together, we explored Canada's potential as a biotech hub and how we possess all the ingredients to become a true destination of choice for global innovation and growth. As Alison emphasizes, with the challenges we face, we must seize this moment, especially with an increasingly frustrated public: Canadians’ feelings and desires must be mobilized as we seek transformational change. I wholeheartedly agree.

When we – the public and private sectors, as well as patients – are united in our goal: we will see a stronger, healthier Canada. The life sciences is a key pillar of the national economy. With the right policies in place, Canada can rely on the life sciences industry for effective solutions. By harnessing a ‘Team Canada’ approach and fostering strategic partnerships, we will build a resilient and innovative healthcare system that enriches our health, our economy, and our societies. Explore more from the Future of Health series here.