Shutterstock.com
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched an investment programme worth £400m over five years to expand clinical trials in the UK, it has announced.
In a statement published on 28 August 2024, the DHSC said the funding — which will come from pharmaceutical companies — will create more opportunities for patients to participate in commercial clinical trials by expanding the UK’s capacity for them.
It follows the publication of government data in July 2024, showing that the number of people recruited to commercial clinical trials in England fell by 9.2% in 2023/2024 compared with the previous year.
As part of the programme, up to 18 new ‘Commercial Research Delivery Centres’ will be established across the UK, which will help support patient recruitment into trials.
The investment will also give researchers greater access to the latest equipment and technology to enable innovative trials to be designed across hospital and primary, community and residential care settings, “bringing research closer to communities across the UK”, the statement said.
A portion of the £400m will also aim to support sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing initiatives that reduce waste and emissions within the pharmaceutical sector.
Funding for the programme will come from pharmaceutical companies that are part of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG).
VPAG was announced in November 2023 as a replacement for the ‘Voluntary pricing and access scheme’ (VPAS) and sets a yearly cap on the total allowed sales value of branded medicines to the NHS each year. Sales above the cap are paid back to the government via a levy.
Before the VPAS agreement expired in December 2023, it was criticised by pharmaceutical companies for requiring an increasing proportion of sales revenue to be returned to the government.
Drug manufacturer Sanofi warned at the time that this could see the company halt clinical trials in the UK because they no longer represented value for money.
In June 2024, Wes Streeting, health and social care secretary, said he wanted the UK to become a “stronger destination” for pharmaceutical manufacturers, adding that the NHS was not realising “anywhere near the full potential” of partnering with the life sciences industry on clinical trials.
Commenting on the investment programme, Streeting said: “This private investment is a significant vote of confidence in the UK and will fast-track the next generation of treatments to NHS patients.
“It will enhance the UK’s global competitiveness and transform the country into the epicentre of health research, supporting an NHS fit for the future.”
Nicola Perrin, chief executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said: “Clinical trials save and improve lives. They enable early access to innovative therapies, and provide a lifeline to patients, particularly where no other treatment options are available.
“Given the significant challenges to embed research in the NHS, this new funding to build additional clinical trial capacity is welcome. The investment has the potential to make the NHS a more attractive place to undertake clinical research and trials, for the benefit of patients and the UK.”
Richard Torbett, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “The life science industry has the potential to deliver so much more for the UK — but to do this we need to fix the NHS, improve patient access to medicines and invest more in our critical science and regulatory infrastructure.
“This world-first investment programme puts industry money behind the government’s vision to make better health and science a driver of economic growth.”
