O’Shaughnessy has been appointed
to conduct an independent review into the UK commercial clinical
trials landscape.
The government has appointed O’Shaughnessy, Senior Partner at
consultancy firm Newmarket Strategy, Board Member of Health Data
Research UK (HDR
UK), and former Health Minister, to conduct an independent
review into the UK commercial clinical trials landscape.
The review will offer recommendations on how commercial clinical
trials can help the life sciences sector unlock UK growth and
investment opportunities. This will also advise on how to resolve
key challenges in conducting commercial clinical trials in the
UK.
, Minister for State at the
new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:
Commercial clinical trials are absolutely vital to both our UK
life sciences sector and widening NHS patient access to
innovative medicines all across the UK.
The UK has traditionally been a strong global location for
trials, as demonstrated most recently through the ground-breaking
Covid Recovery trial which was set up in record time and was the
world’s largest randomised controlled trial for COVID-19.
However, our life sciences sector has reported a 44% fall in
recruitment of patients to commercial clinical trials between
2017 and 2021 - so it is vital that we act to rebuild
competitiveness.
That is why I’m delighted that Lord O’Shaughnessy will lead this
independent review to identify the key steps we need to take.
Health Minister, , said:
We’re harnessing the same spirit of innovation that delivered the
COVID-19 vaccine and working hand in hand with the NHS, industry
and healthcare experts to get cutting-edge medicines to patients
faster.
This review will help us to find new ways to conduct commercial
clinical trials that will speed up diagnosis, enhance treatment
and enable the NHS to deliver world-class care, as well as
cementing our position as a life sciences super power.
The UK continues to lead the way in ground-breaking research and
I look forward to receiving Lord O’Shaughnessy’s recommendations.
Lord O’Shaughnessy’s review will build on the government’s
10-year vision for clinical trials, Saving and Improving Lives:
The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery, published in March
2021. The review will take account of the work of the Recovery
Resilience and Growth (UK RRG) programme, which
brings together partners across the health system and industry to
help deliver this 10-year vision.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
(ABPI)
have outlined a 44% drop in the number of participants recruited
to commercial clinical trials in the last 5 years, exacerbated by
the effects of the pandemic. The number of industry clinical
trials initiated in the UK per year fell by 41% between 2017 and
2021.
Lord O’Shaughnessy will publish his advice this spring. This will
include recommendations of priority actions to make progress in
2023, as well as setting out longer-term ambitions for UK
clinical trials.
