Import research drugs from Canada to your US university
Nexara Health supplies research drug material to US universities, NIH-funded laboratories, academic medical centers and their CRO partners from a Health Canada–licensed facility in Winnipeg (DEL #3-002896). We handle the Canadian export side end to end: sourcing the exact strength and presentation, assembling the regulatory pack, booking the validated cold chain and clearing the border with a customs broker who has moved pharmaceutical research shipments before.
Which import pathway applies
Three routes cover most academic work. Under an IND, material is shipped to the named investigator against the IND number and the sponsor's documentation. Under an IND-exempt research pathway, non-clinical or bench material moves as research-use-only with a signed statement of use. For an approved prescription product, the material is a licensed Canadian product bought through a licensed wholesale channel with full pedigree. We confirm which route your shipment sits on before quoting, because it changes both the paperwork and the lead time.
What we supply
- Comparator and reference products, including brands no longer marketed in the US.
- Co-medications, rescue medication and ancillary supplies.
- Cold-chain biologics in validated 2–8 °C shippers with continuous monitoring.
- Small quantities — single packs are normal for academic work, not an exception.
Documentation and compliance
Every shipment leaves with a certificate of analysis, lot and expiry data, the DEL licence copy, a commercial invoice with the correct tariff classification, and the chain-of-custody record. Documentation is written so a research compliance office or an FDA inspector can follow the product from the Canadian source to your receiving dock without asking us for anything else.
Related pages
Questions US research teams ask
Can a US university import research drugs from Canada?
Yes. US universities, NIH-funded labs and academic medical centers import research material from Canadian licensed wholesalers under an IND, an IND-exempt research pathway, or as an approved prescription product purchased through a licensed channel. The pathway decides which documents travel with the shipment.
What documents come with the shipment?
Commercial invoice with harmonised tariff codes, packing list, certificate of analysis, batch/lot and expiry data, Health Canada Drug Establishment Licence #3-002896, and a statement of the intended research use. Cold-chain shipments add the validated shipper specification and the temperature record.
How long does it take?
Stocked Canadian product typically ships within 2–5 business days of a purchase order and clears customs in 1–2 days. Product sourced from a third market takes longer, and we confirm the realistic date before you raise the order rather than after.
Do you handle controlled substances?
Controlled substances require importer and exporter permits on both sides and are quoted case by case. Tell us the molecule and schedule and we will say plainly whether we can supply it.
Request a quote
Nexara Health is a Health Canada–licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler (DEL #3-002896) based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, supplying hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, CROs, and trial sponsors across Canada. Send us the product, strength, presentation, and quantity for a university research import and we will come back with availability, source market, lead time, and landed cost — usually within 24 hours.
Request a sourcing quote or call +1 (431) 800-0040.