C$35 million over five years. That is what the Alberta Cancer Foundation said it will put into cancer clinical trials, one of the largest such commitments in its history, announced on July 6, 2026.
The money pays for new treatments and for the daily operations that keep trials running, with the stated aim of making therapies already in use safer, quicker and more effective. Wendy Beauchesne, the foundation’s CEO, called clinical trials “the backbone of progress in cancer care” and described the funding as a way to speed the journey from discovery to impact.
Where it goes
Operations and infrastructure will be backed at flagship hubs across the province. In Calgary, that means the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Owerko Family Centre for Clinical Trials. In Edmonton, it covers the Clinical Trials Unit at the Cross Cancer Institute, where teams are advancing CAR T-cell treatments and newer immunotherapies.
Lethbridge gets a specific project. Part of the money helps start a trial in which advanced MRI imaging will be used to check if doctors can safely cut back the radiation sessions prostate cancer patients receive.
Tied to the provincial plan
The announcement lands weeks after the Government of Alberta unveiled its 10-Year Cancer Care Strategy in June, a plan meant to improve outcomes and patient experience while pushing research forward. Brenda Hubley of Cancer Care Alberta, its managing director, said the foundation’s investment accelerates the province’s Strategic Plan for Cancer to 2036 and brings more treatment options to Albertans now.
The foundation raises the money for every cancer centre in the province. Its funding keeps more than 200 cancer clinical trials active and open to Albertans at any point. It credits donor-funded research and trials for a long swing in outcomes: over the last 25 years the province has gone from one of the lowest cancer survival rates in Canada to one of the highest.
Sources
- Alberta Cancer Foundation invests $35 million to power cancer clinical trials for Albertans
- Alberta Cancer Foundation Invests C$35 Million To Advance Cancer Clinical Trials (Pulse 2.0)
