OICR will continue to deliver innovative research and treatment solutions to help cancer patients live longer, healthier lives

The $144 million investment in the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) announced today by the Government of Ontario will bring huge dividends for people affected by cancer and their families, now and into the future.

The funding — covering the next two years of OICR operations — was announced by Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, as part of a large investment in Ontario’s research ecosystem.

“Ontario’s research institutes are making new discoveries and doing cutting-edge research that is significantly improving lives,” Minister Dunlop said in a news release. “This funding will help researchers continue to solve real-world problems, such as making clinical trials timelier and developing tools for earlier cancer diagnosis so Ontarians can live longer and healthier lives.”

OICR is the province’s cancer research institute. Since its inception in 2005, the Institute has helped make the province a global leader in cancer innovation, answering some of the biggest questions in cancer, and turning that knowledge into made-in-Ontario solutions.

Support from the Government of Ontario has allowed OICR to make groundbreaking discoveries that are changing the lives of people in Ontario and around the world. This continued provincial support will further drive OICR’s cutting-edge innovations, including blood tests that can find cancer earlier than a scan and treatments that harness our body’s own immune system to fight cancer.

“OICR’s continued commitment to research that meets the needs of patients gives me hope that people affected by cancer today, as well as future generations, will be able to live longer and live better,” says Terry Hawrysh, a blood cancer survivor and Chair of OICR’s Patient and Family Advisory Council.

OICR innovations are helping Ontarians live longer and healthier lives, while also making the province stronger. OICR, together with its strategic partner FACIT, continues to nurture local talent, turning Ontario-based discoveries into enterprises that attract significant investment and create high-value jobs in the province.

“The province’s support for OICR is an investment in the future of Ontarians and of people affected by cancer around the world,” says Dr. Laszlo Radvanyi, OICR President and Scientific Director. “We thank the Government of Ontario for their continued trust and vow to continue delivering solutions to improve the health of Ontarians and contribute to the province’s economic growth.”