Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada (BTNC)
Accelerating cures. Strengthening Canada’s leadership in regenerative medicine.
Canada has a unique opportunity to lead in the development of transformative therapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other serious diseases.
The Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada (BTNC) is a national plan to make that opportunity real, accelerating the path to cures while ensuring Canadian benefit first.
Take action
What we are asking of the Government of Canada
Breakthrough T1D Canada is calling on the federal government to:
Invest $62 million over five years in Budget 2026 to establish the Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada (BTNC).
This investment will be matched by:
- $25 million from Breakthrough T1D donors
- $13 million from industry and partners
Together, this creates a $100 million national public-private partnership to accelerate cures and secure Canada’s leadership in regenerative medicine.
What this means for you
For people living with T1D and their families, the BTNC will help:
- Bring new therapies and clinical trials to Canada faster
- Ensure more trial sites across the country
- Improve access to life-changing treatments
- Move us closer to a world free from T1D
“Living with T1D means managing your health every hour of every day. The BTNC is about changing that reality, for me, and for the next generation.” – Kimberly Hanson, Chief External Relations Officer, Breakthrough T1D
Broad national support
The Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada is backed by a growing coalition of organizations across Canada’s health, research, and life sciences sectors.
More than 50 life sciences leaders and organizations have formally endorsed this request, recognizing the urgent opportunity to:
- Accelerate access to life‑changing therapies
- Strengthen Canada’s leadership in regenerative medicine
- Keep innovation, talent, and economic benefits in Canada
Why now
Canada is at a pivotal moment.
Cell and gene therapies are rapidly moving from discovery into real-world clinical use and will transform how diseases like T1D are treated.
Countries that act now are:
- Anchoring clinical trials
- Attracting global investment
- Retaining top scientific talent
Without coordinated national action, Canada risks falling behind.
What the BTNC will do
What the BTNC will do
The BTNC will bring together expertise across Canada to:
1. Accelerate clinical trials
- More trials in Canada
- Faster access for patients
2. Coordinate national capacity
- Reduce duplication
- Align research, infrastructure, and expertise
3. Deliver therapies to Canadians
- Ensure successful treatments are developed and available here at home
This coordinated approach will shorten the path from discovery to delivery.
Why type 1 diabetes
T1D is one of the most promising areas for curative advances in regenerative medicine.
- Multiple therapies are already in or nearing clinical trials in Canada
- Canada has world-leading expertise in diabetes, transplantation, and clinical trials
- Outcomes are clear and measurable, making T1D an ideal starting point
At the same time:
- Over 300,000 Canadians live with T1D
- It requires lifelong insulin therapy and carries risk of serious complications
Take Action
Help ensure Canada doesn’t miss this opportunity.
Take action before July 31, 2026.
Ask your Member of Parliament to support federal investment in the Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada (BTNC).
Use the advocacy toolkit below to meet with your Member of Parliament and ask for their support for the BTNC.
Share social media posts or create your own using our toolkit below to help build momentum across the country.
Advocacy Toolkit
Please find below an advocacy toolkit that includes: message templates you can send to your Member of Parliament, sample social media posts, a leave-behind document about the BTNC to share following meetings, a template letter your MP can send to the Minister of Finance, as well as a Q&A.
If you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us at: advocacy@BreakthroughT1D.ca
Thank you for lending your voice and helping ensure that type 1 diabetes remains a priority on the federal agenda.
Sample Letter to your Member of Parliament
Breakthrough T1D Network for Canada Advocacy Brochure