A new UK initiative will speed up the testing of new medicines and improve patient care. The Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Clinical Trial Innovation, in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will receive up to £50 million to fund this work.
The centre aims to rethink how clinical trials are designed and run, making them faster and more efficient without compromising safety or quality.
Making trials faster and more efficient
Current trials often test one treatment in one disease at a time. The new centre will explore ways to test multiple drugs across multiple diseases simultaneously. This approach could transform both academic research and industry practice.
The centre will also focus on finding the minimum effective “intensity” of treatments. For example, lower doses or shorter durations of chemotherapy could reduce side effects while still treating the disease effectively.
Building on pioneering trial designs
Led by Professor Max Parmar, the CoRE will expand on the work of the MRC Clinical Trials Unit. That unit developed ‘multi-arm multi-stage’ trial designs that allow new drugs to be added or removed based on results. This flexibility has already changed how clinical trials operate.
Professor Parmar explained that while science produces new treatments rapidly, translating them into patient care can take up to 20 years. The CoRE aims to shorten this timeline, reduce costs, and get life-changing treatments to patients sooner.
Collaboration across experts and institutions
To ensure success, the centre will work with more than 60 organisations worldwide. Partners include researchers, doctors, statisticians, pharmaceutical companies, and regulators.
UK universities involved in leadership roles include:
- University College London (UCL)
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- University of Cambridge
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Birmingham
- Newcastle University
Through these collaborations, the CoRE hopes to drive widespread adoption of innovative trial methods and improve outcomes for patients globally.
