Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Paragraph: 33
Decline in UK clinical trial activity threatens global leadership position.
Conclusion
We are deeply concerned to hear about the decline in clinical trial activity and the risk to the UK’s position as a global leader in this area. The challenges highlighted by witnesses, particularly around the administrative aspects of running a trial, are clearly fixable and it is vital that they are addressed if the UK is to make the most of its world-leading academic and research expertise.
Government Response Summary
The government notes the concerns about clinical trial decline but highlights an increase in participants since 2018 and the impact of the pandemic. It details existing efforts like the Research Reset programme and the 'Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery' strategy, reaffirming its commitment to regaining global leadership.
Paragraph Reference:
33
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We note the concerns raised by the Committee which is based on data published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) which show a decline in the number of commercial clinical trials initiated in the UK between 2017 and 2021. Overall, however, there has been an increase in the number of participants recruited to clinical studies in England since 2018. During the pandemic (in 2020 and 2021), many non-COVID studies were paused to focus on nationally prioritised COVID-19 studies. The Department, working in partnership with NHS England, has taken action to recover the UK’s capacity to deliver research through the Research Reset programme. We currently have over 5,700 studies on the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) portfolio and 80% are open and recruiting to time and target. As of August 2023, an average of over 79,000 people were recruited to studies on the NIHR CRN portfolio each month, 10,000 more than the monthly average prior to the pandemic in 2019/20. The Government remains committed to regaining the UK’s position as a global leader in clinical trials. This is critical to delivering the ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Vision and to positioning the UK as a science superpower. In March 2021 the Government published Saving and Improving Lives: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery4 setting out our ambitions to reform clinical research delivery in the United Kingdom. This sets out how we will improve patient access to clinical trials in all areas, including Cancer. This will include enhancing the use of data to support recruitment and improving processes to make study set-up and delivery faster, more efficient, and more innovative, so that clinical research participation is more accessible than ever. Vaccine innovation and clinical trials remain a priority. In December 2022, the Government signed the Moderna-UK Strategic Partnership, which will see a new innovation and technology centre built in the UK5.