£74 MILLION BOOST FOR PATIENT CENTRED RESEARCH TO DEVELOP NEW THERAPIES
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.
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.
Ends
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).