£74 million boost for patient centred research to develop new therapies
11 May 2005
Funding of £74 million is announced today (Wednesday 11 May) to provide a major boost to experimental medicine1 in the UK to develop new treatments for patients. Experimental medicine brings together laboratory and clinical patient-based research to answer important questions about health and disease. The resulting knowledge can then be used to speed up the development of new treatments to benefit patients.
Working together, as partners in the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Wellcome Trust, the Wolfson Foundation, the Department of Health, and the Scottish Executive Health Department have committed funding for a new co-ordinated initiative in experimental medicine.
This initiative combines research infrastructure, the NHS and research activity to build the capacity for expanding experimental medicine. Two co-ordinated funding schemes are being announced today to support the programme.
To strengthen clinical research in the UK, the Wellcome Trust and the Wolfson Foundation are jointly providing £30 million for the development of new technologies in experimental medicine and Clinical Research Facilities: purpose-built environments where universities and hospital trusts work together on a dedicated programme of patient-orientated research. Such facilities ensure that advances in biomedical research result in improvements in healthcare and nurture clinical researchers and health professionals for the future.
The Department of Health has committed to providing funding of £5 million per annum for developing new treatments in a clinical setting. In a similar way, the Scottish Executive Health Department has pledged funds of up to £0.8 million per annum to boost the NHS infrastructure required to support the anticipated increased level of research.
Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust said: "If we want to understand the mechanisms of diseases and test new treatments, it is essential that we work with patients. Clinical Research Facilities provide an ideal environment for medical research involving patients. They provide cutting-edge facilities, specialist staff and care which enables research that can lead to health benefits. These facilities will contribute significantly to advancing clinical research in the UK. Collaborations of this type between research funders such as the Wellcome Trust and the UK Departments of Health can make the UK a world leader in clinical research".
Lord Turnberg, Trustee of the Wolfson Foundation said: "A major thrust of the Wolfson Foundation's policy is to ensure that advances in medical science are applied to clinical care of patients. We are delighted to play our part in supporting this development of Clinical Research Facilities. They will be placed right at the interface between the academic and hospital environments, where this essential patient-based research can be carried out."
The second part of this initiative invites applications for experimental medical research. The MRC is committing £15 million for research to promote the translation of laboratory research into clinical practice for the benefit of patients (see expressions of interest in experimental medicine).
Professor Colin Blakemore, Chief Executive of the MRC says: "The MRC is delighted to provide research funding for this important initiative, co-ordinated with the investment in Clinical Research Facilities. This will give an immediate boost to experimental medicine research. It is an excellent example of the way in which partnership with other funders will drive forward research of benefit to patients".
Health Minister Jane Kennedy said: "This initiative is an essential step in improving the care we can offer patients. The NHS is vital for translating medical advances from the scientist’s bench to the patient’s bedside, and the Government is committed to supporting this research. By working together we can provide a coherent and co-ordinated approach to develop and improve medical treatment."
Scottish Executive Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care Rhona Brankin said: "We very much welcome collaborative initiatives of this type, which have the potential to enhance the ability of the NHS to embrace new treatments through research. The Scottish Executive will provide funding to support the increased activity generated by successful Scottish bids to this initiative".
The establishment of the UKCRC has presented a unique opportunity to co-ordinate the efforts of different funding bodies. The UKCRC will provide a link across these activities to ensure that all the different elements are joined up. It will also provide a bridge to co-ordinate new investment in this area with the plans of other research funders in the industry and charity sectors.
For media enquiries, please contact UKCRC office on 0207 670 5389.
For further details relating to the funding schemes, please contact:
- Noorece Ahmed (Wellcome Trust - 0207 611 8540)
- Lisa Knowles (MRC - 0207 670 5139)
- Claire Rich (Department of Health - 0207 210 5238)
- Stuart Lewis (Scottish Executive Health Department - 0131 244 2517).
Notes to Editors
1. Experimental Medicine is defined as investigation undertaken in human beings to identify mechanisms of pathophysiology or disease, to test the validity and importance of new discoveries or treatments.
2. The need for a greater investment in experimental medicine was highlighted in recent reports on clinical research from the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Bioscience and Innovation Growth team. The major funding bodies within the UKCRC Partnership are committed to further investment in this important area and will be working closely together as they support the development of new infrastructure and fund new research and training. Further details can be found on the UKCRC website at: http://www.ukcrc.org.
3. The MRC Call for Proposals wishes to attract the most innovative, exciting and collaborative applications, including partnerships between clinical and basic scientists and with industry. Consideration will be given to studies with emphasis on: ‘proof of concept’- studies designed to explore pathophysiology, gain early evidence that an intervention has an effect and/or investigate mechanism of action; early evaluation of novel diagnostic methodologies; the characterisation of intermediate phenotypes or surrogate markers of disease progression or response to treatment; investigation of new technologies and technology assessment. Website at: http://www.mrc.ac.uk.
4. The Wellcome Trust, Wolfson Foundation and Departments of Health initiative aims to provide significant new investment that will build on already existing clinical research infrastructure. Proposals are sought in three key areas: the development of new Clinical Research Facilities (CRF’s), support for networking of CRF’s, and support for enabling technologies for clinical research. Awards in these areas may comprise one or more or a combination of the following: new build, refurbishment, purpose built laboratories and facilities, research equipment and associated support costs including consumables and staffing. Further details of this initiative will appear on the Wellcome Trust website at the end of May: http://www.wellcome.ac.uk.
5. The Departments of Health of the devolved nations of Northern Ireland and Wales are scheduled to join the Wellcome Trust clinical research partnership. Details are being finalised but it is anticipated that they will sign up to the scheme by the end of May.
6. The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) is a new partnership of organisations united by the shared aim of establishing the position of the UK as a world leader in clinical research, by harnessing the power of the NHS. The Collaboration was established in response to the growing concerns that the UK was not fully realising the clinical research potential offered by the NHS and brings together the major stakeholders that influence the clinical research environment in the UK. The partnership includes representatives from the main funding bodies for clinical research in the UK, academic medicine, the NHS, regulatory bodies, representatives from industry and patients.
The UKCRC was launched in April 2004 and has five main areas of activity:
- Building up the infrastructure in the NHS
- Developing Incentives for Research in the NHS
- Building up the Research Workforce
- Streamlining the Regulatory and Governance Processes
- Co-ordinating Clinical Research Funding
7. The Department of Health invests over £600 million pa in medical research. The Government also invests over £400 million pa through the Medical Research Council.
8. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a national organisation funded by the UK tax-payer. Its business is medical research aimed at improving human health; everyone stands to benefit from the outputs. The research it supports and the scientists it trains meet the needs of the health services, the pharmaceutical and other health-related industries and the academic world. MRC has funded work which has led to some of the most significant discoveries and achievements in medicine in the UK. About half of the MRC’s expenditure of £500 million is invested in its 40 Institutes, Units and Centres. The remaining half goes in the form of grant support and training awards to individuals and teams in universities and medical schools.
9. The Scottish Executive Health Department invests over £52 million pa through its Chief Scientist Office on research related to health and healthcare.
10. The Wellcome Trust is an independent research funding charity established in 1936 under the will of the tropical medicine pioneer Sir Henry Wellcome. The Trust’s mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health and it currently spends over £400 million per annum.
11. The Wolfson Foundation is a charitable foundation set up in 1955 whose aims are the advancement of science, health, education, the arts and humanities. It has, for a number of years, supported the renovation of museums and galleries and the promotion of scientific research and education.
