Published: 29 August 2024
NIHR CEO Professor Lucy Chappell has welcomed the announcement of a £300m investment to boost clinical trials in the UK.
The joint public-private investment programme, which was announced this week, will channel significant investment into the UK’s health and life sciences sector over the next five years. It aims to:
- give patients earlier access to new treatments
- reinforce the UK’s position as the home of cutting-edge health research
- boost economic growth and the global competitiveness of the UK’s life sciences sector
The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme will allocate 75% of its £400m investment to expand the UK’s capacity and capability for commercial clinical trials.
New Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) will be established across the four nations, with up to 15 NIHR CRDCs in England. The CRDCs will:
- enhance and build upon the UK’s commercial clinical trials infrastructure
- support diversification of clinical trials to primary, community and social care setting to make taking part in research as easy as possible
- increase research inclusion to ensure people from all eligible communities and those living with the greatest burden of disease can participate in clinical trials
- drive innovation and act as a test bed for new approaches to delivering commercial research, working with research infrastructure across the UK
- fast-track the development of new medicines to patients
The NIHR CRDCs in England will launch on 1 April 2025.
Professor Chappell, NIHR CEO and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, said: “I am delighted that the Chief Scientific Advisers for Health across the UK are working closely together to bring potential new treatments from companies in the life sciences sector to patients.
“The NIHR Commercial Research Delivery Centres in England will be a vital part of the UK research delivery infrastructure to drive improvements in patient treatment and enable the NHS to deliver clinical research most effectively.”
The VPAG Investment Programme will also:
- provide researchers with increased access to the latest equipment and technology
- create sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation. Around 20% of the funding will be directed towards sustainable manufacturing initiatives, promoting efficiency and reducing waste and emissions within the pharmaceutical sector
- support innovative Health Technology Assessment (HTA) approaches. The final 5% of the investment will focus on modernising HTA processes - a way to assess the cost and clinical effectiveness of new treatments - facilitating improved access to innovative medicines
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes 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. By cutting waiting lists and fixing our NHS, we can make it an engine for growth and build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy.”