US is the global leader in medical trials with more than 2,000 started in 2017 – THREE TIMES as many as the UK which ranks third behind Germany
- The Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry revealed a world ranking
- It showed the UK leads Europe in early-stage clinical trials and is second overall
- Germany’s large number of late-stage population level trials puts it ahead
- Experts said the UK must keep investing to stay ahead of China, Brazil and Japan
The US is carrying out more medical trials than any other country in the world and began 2,112 new experiments in 2017, a report has revealed.
A global ranking table by British pharmaceutical experts has delved into how many clinical trials are being started in developed nations around the world.
It found that, while the US was a runaway leader at all stages, the UK led Europe on phase one and two research – the earliest points of testing a potential new drug.
The US as both a global financial power and a nation of more than 327million people was safe in its position from increasing efforts by Brazil and China.
But the UK’s position could be threatened without more investment and solid post-Brexit relations, pharmacists warned.
The US leads the world by far in clinical trials started in 2017 but the UK is punching above its weight and begun more phase one and two trials than any other nation in Europe
The report was produced by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).
It focused on the UK but revealed that in 2017 alone, the US started 614 phase one trials, 970 phase two and 528 phase three.
The phases relate to the stage of development the drug is in, with one being safety tests on small numbers of patients.
Phase two is larger trials to test how well the treatment works, and three is wide-ranging tests of the drug on large groups and comparisons with other treatments.
In the same year the UK began 147 in phase one, 253 in phase two and 243 in phase three.
It outperformed Germany in all but phase three, falling short of the country’s 276 on that measure.
‘The UK is an attractive place to invest in clinical trials because of the infrastructure provided by the NHS,’ said Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, president of the British Pharmacological Society.
‘It is also a global leader in experimental medicine and early phase research.
‘The ABPI report emphasises that continued success is heavily dependent on investing in key skills such as clinical pharmacology; there are long-standing skills gaps that are widely recognised – for example by ABPI skills surveys and the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy – and need urgent action.’
The report noted that Brazil and China are starting to invest heavily in becoming medicine research and development powerhouses.
The nations have some of the world’s biggest populations and are fast-developing economies.
But, so far, they have not been able to match up with the UK’s pace of research.
China started a total of 432 trials in 2017 while Brazil began 149.
As part of its analysis the ABPI revealed it is concerned that inadequate investment and damage to international relations caused by Brexit will endanger the UK’s prowess in future.
It set out seven recommendations which it said are ‘vital’ for the UK to be successful in the future. They are:
- Increase investment into clinical research
- Simplify the processes for setting up and running clinical trials
- Investing in training a modern workforce and plugging skills gaps
- Embrace the benefits of using IT in research and development
- Increase patient involvement in clinical research
- Continue high standards for transparency
- Secure a strong future UK-EU relationship on medicines and research
Hundreds of clinical trials start every month in the UK and cover a huge range of health conditions.
Some which have begun recruiting just this week include ones to study white blood cell function in lung cancer patients; using facial movements to measure someone’s pain; using cognitive behavioural therapy to reduce anxiety and depression in patients with irregular heartbeats and one testing eye drops for dry eye disease.
More than 870,000 people in the UK took part in clinical research in England in 2018-19 and the pharmaceutical industry invests £4.3billion ($5.6bn) per year.
Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: ‘The UK’s world-leading clinical research sector is a rare good news story, and the next government cannot let this position slip.
‘Amid the heat of Brexit we must continue to invest in life sciences research.
‘We also need to recognise the huge contribution NHS clinicians make in giving up their time for these studies. NHS organisations across the country should explore how clinicians can best be given the time and skills to engage in research.’
For more information about clinical trials in the UK visit the National Institute for Health Research website.
