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How The UK Is Reinvigorating Its Clinical Trials Industry

Recruitment Has Declined Substantially Since 2017

 
• By Chloe Kent

In the year since the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry raised the alarm about drastically dwindling clinical trial recruitment numbers in the UK, the country has taken a number of steps to try to turn things around.

Doctor vaccinating patient
• Source: Shutterstock

In October 2022, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) released a damning report examining the need to “rescue” patient access to clinical trials in the UK. The organization revealed that patients recruited to industry research registered on the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) had fallen dramatically, from 50,112 patients in 2017/18 to just 28,193 in 2021/22 – a 44% decline. One year on, the organization is advocating for the UK government to prioritize short-term improvements to boost the country’s reputation as a research hub and facilitate patient access to preclinical treatments.

The ABPI has praised the UK government’s vision for improving its clinical trial landscape but told In Vivo that it...

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