Work with us
How to work with us as a researcher
The UK MSK TRC supports proposals that intend to develop, design, and deliver initiatives at scale, reflecting the size and ambition of the collaboration for musculoskeletal experimental medicine, to bring benefit to people with arthritis.
For further details on working with us and our remit, please visit our guidance document.
Benefits of MSK TRC Support:
- Access to UK-wide expertise
- Administration support with study proposals
- NIHR business development guidance
- Study development expertise and input from PPIE resources (where appropriate)
- Expertise and collaborative opportunities from other TRCs
How to work with us an an Industry Collaborator
The MSK TRC can work with you to develop, co-design or co-deliver your studies and research ideas.
We have the expertise, infrastructure and capacity to conduct study feasibility, facilitate industry collaboration workshops, advance efficient and effective development and delivery of studies, and much more.
The MSK TRC is keen to attract early industry engagement. If you have interests that align with the TRC’s workstreams and activities or if you would like to discuss a possible collaboration that is not currently listed – please get in touch, as we are looking to work together and collaborate from an early stage.
There are multiple ways that the MSK TRC can support industry engagement – some examples can be found in our case studies section (below).
Demonstrating our expertise
Explore our previous successful collaborations with industry, charities and academia to progress MSK research forward.
Case Study: BEAT LUPUS Trial
The UK’s first clinical trial testing Belimumab after B cell depletion therapy in people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), led by Professor Mike Ehrenstein, UCLH.
Collaboration between the UK MSK TRC, Versus Arthritis and GlaxoSmithKline, 6 years from initial funding to finishing, successfully hitting its recruitment target of 52 patients.
The UK MSK TRC provides the interface between the strong academic input that multi-centre intervention studies require and an industry partner, in addition to ensuring the patient’s voice is heard, through the partnership with Versus Arthritis.'
Professor Mike Ehrenstein, UCLH
APPIPRA (Arthritis Prevention in the Pre-clinical Phase of RA with Abatacept)
Prof Andrew Cope, King's College London a former TRC member. Collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb. 30 study sites, experimental studies. Recruitment completed.
Arthritis prevention in the pre-clinical phase of RA with abatacept (the APIPPRA study). This academic-industry collaboration spanned 31 European sites and involved over 200 patients with findings successfully demonstrating that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be prevented at the preclinical stage. The APIPPRA trial tested the effectiveness of using the co-stimulatory blocker drug abatacept for preventing or delaying the onset of inflammatory arthritis. The study results found that after one year of treatment on abatacept, the proportion of developing RA was greatly reduced when compared to placebo, with evidence of benefit beyond the treatment phase. The study also identified a subgroup of at-risk individuals with a more mature autoantibody response who were particularly sensitive to abatacept. The APIPPRA study was led by Prof Andrew Cope and involved collaborations with colleagues from across the UK MSK TRC.
COVID-19 Trials
- In house MSK TRC expertise and experience
- TRC Investigators (for example, OCTAVE – Profs Iain McInnes, Stefan Siebert)
Conect4children Group - Prof Athimalaipet V Ramanan
Conect4children is a large collaborative European network facilitating the development of new medicines for paediatric populations, creating a platform and mechanism for greater international harmonisation of clinical paediatric research. Stimulated by COVID-19, the Conect4children expert advice group has made recommendations to regulators, sponsors, and investigators on aspects of clinical research in paediatrics to enhance efficiency, reduce the cost and burden of medicines and non-interventional studies, and deliver research equity. Drawing on industry perspectives, regulatory considerations, infrastructure requirements and parent–patient–public involvement, Conect4children has created and delivered research innovations and recommendations to improve the efficiency of future trials. Prof Athimalaipet V. Ramanan is a member of Conect4children which also includes members from across the TRC.
Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (ADPD)
Initiated with a £24M initiative from UKRI, Versus Arthritis, and Eli Lilly, APDP is delivering a consortium-based platform of national scale, generating discovery and early translational science focused on pain and developing new treatment approaches to address a wide spectrum of chronic and debilitating clinical conditions.
Collaborating with UK Strategies
Explore some of our complementary programmes that align with the MSK TRC activities and workstreams and are connected by their leading clinical and academic researchers.
Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (ADPD): A 5 year, £24M initiative delivering a consortium- based platform of national scale, generating discovery and early translational science focused on pain and developing new treatment approaches to address a wide spectrum of chronic and debilitating clinical conditions.
Arthritis Therapy Acceleration Programme (A-TAP): Kennedy Trust, University of Birmingham, University of Oxford and NHS Trusts. To provide a platform Stratified Pathology, matching the right drug to the right indication early indrug discovery (RA, SpA, Sjogen’s, IBD).