Better Health, Brighter Future
Funding to attract and advance Canadian clinical research in inflammatory bowel disease
Toronto, ON – February 13, 2024 – Takeda Canada Inc. (Takeda) is pleased to announce its support of the Canadian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Consortium’s (CIRC) $1 million PIONEER Grant in its second year. This grant, with Takeda contributing $500,000 of the $1,000,000 award, will continue to support high-quality, impactful Canadian clinical research to improve patient outcomes and quality of life for people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
"At Takeda, our unwavering dedication lies in making a tangible difference in the lives of Canadians struggling with inflammatory bowel disease,” said Rute Fernandes, President & General Manager, Takeda in Canada. “In order to do this, we must continue to invest in scientific research that address the needs of patients, and that is why we are pleased to continue to support this important program.”
For the second PIONEER grant, a prospective, multi-site, randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be given priority, but one or multiple non-RCT designs will be considered, and to involve CIRC members. Investigators who have pilot data and partner support are encouraged to share those details. Requests for up to $1 million in funding will be considered, which can be dispersed over a minimum of two and a maximum of five years.
"The purpose of CIRC is to advance the care of people living with Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis, through research,” said Dr. Talat Bessissow, President of CIRC and Gastroenterologist at McGill University. “We are immensely proud of our research community, this program and are grateful for Takeda partnership and dedication to advancing research in Canada.”
The inaugural PIONEER grant was awarded to Dr. Christopher Ma, Associate Professor of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, for his PATHFINDER study, a randomized, multi-centre pragmatic trial that will investigate which class of biologics is the optimal first-line treatment for patients with high-risk ileal Crohn’s disease.
"In Canada, there is significant competition for high-impact clinical research funding and a huge appetite amongst researchers, physicians, and patients to advance the field,” said Dr. Ma. “The PIONEER Grant, established through $1,000,000 in support from Takeda, gives Canadian IBD researchers an amazing and truly unique opportunity to conduct practice changing investigator-initiated research. We are seeing firsthand the impact of this grant on our research community, with recruitment having already kicked off and most sites for the PATHFINDER study being set to open in 2024.”
Inflammatory bowel disease – the main forms of IBD being Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract which impacts food digestion, nutrition absorption and waste elimination for those affected. More than 300,000 Canadians live with this disease for which there is currently no cure. i,ii
Letters of intent are now being accepted and are due March 26th, 2024, at 12:00 am EST. Further details including information on how to submit a letter of intent can be found at: https://circ-ccrm.ca/pioneer-grant/.
With the support of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, CIRC was established in 2017 to attract and facilitate clinical studies in Canada by creating a collaborative network of clinician scientists and offering research support. Now in its sixth year, CIRC has continued to grow and is currently running nine multi-centre investigator-initiated studies designed to answer important clinical questions, including four multi-centred randomized controlled trials. To learn more about CIRC, visit circ-ccrm.ca
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is on a relentless journey to find the cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improve the lives of children and adults affected by these chronic diseases. We are the country’s largest volunteer-based organization with this mission and are one of the top two health charity funders of Crohn’s and colitis research in the world, investing over $135 million in research to date. We are transforming the lives of people affected by Crohn’s and colitis through research, patient programs, advocacy, and awareness. For more information, visit crohnsandcolitis.ca and follow us @getgutsycanada on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Takeda Canada Inc. is the Canadian organization of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK), a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discovering and delivering life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people, and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetics and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people’s lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. For more information, visit: takeda.com/en-ca
Amanda Jacobs
(647) 798-2231
i https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/About-Crohn-s-Colitis/What-are-Crohns-and-Colitis