New network established to boost commercial research delivery across the UK

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded £6.5 million, funded jointly through a public-private partnership with the pharmaceutical industry, to establish a UK-wide Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) Network. 

The Network is hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), and will commence formally on 1 September 2025.

The new Network will provide strategic coordination of all 21 CRDCs across the four nations of the UK. It will play a key role in building research capacity, streamlining the interface between industry and the UK clinical trials delivery infrastructure, and enhancing efficiency to deliver commercial clinical research through harmonised processes, in line with the Prime Minister’s call to turbocharge medical research earlier this year.

By adopting a UK-wide approach to delivering commercial clinical trials, more patients will have the opportunity to receive the latest innovative treatments through research.

The CRDCs were announced in December 2024, supported by a public-private funding partnership between government and the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of the CRDCs is to accelerate and strengthen commercial clinical research delivery to increase the UK’s global competitiveness in life sciences. Primary Care CRDCs will join the Network in November to support the shift from hospital to community in England. These are GP-led centres with a track record of delivering commercial research, who are poised to hit the ground running on day one.

Industry funding for the CRDCs is provided via the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access, and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme, contributing up to £300m to boost delivery of commercial clinical trials in the UK. Those in England are jointly funded through the NIHR to offer a sustainable infrastructure for industry up to the end of March 2031.

The CRDCs work with the life sciences industry and other research infrastructure to deliver commercially sponsored research in the UK.

The UK CRDC Network host will coordinate operations across the CRDCs to ensure streamlined and harmonised delivery of commercial clinical research across the UK.

The Network will:

• Provide strategic leadership and national coordination across the 21 CRDCs across the UK.
• Offer a central point of contact for industry sponsors.
• Facilitate study feasibility, placement and setup across the UK.
• Foster collaboration with regulators, wider NIHR and UK-wide delivery infrastructure, and other key stakeholders to advance UK Clinical Research Delivery.
• Support workforce development, inclusion, and public involvement.
• Facilitate the integration of the Primary Care Commercial Research Delivery Centres (PC-CRDCs) in England in autumn 2025, adopting them into the Network.

By aligning CRDC efforts and offering a cohesive offer to industry, the Network will ensure that the CRDCs deliver against industry expectations for faster, more efficient set up and delivery of commercial research in the UK.

Dr Maria Koufali, NIHR Life Sciences Industry Director, said: “The UK CRDC Network is a critical part of our national effort to transform UK clinical research delivery. By streamlining trial set-up and expanding access into community and underserved settings, it will help make the UK one of the most attractive destinations globally for commercial research. 

"This means faster access to innovative treatments for patients, greater investment in the NHS and a stronger life sciences sector that boosts the health and wealth of the nation.”

Dr Janet Valentine, Executive Director of Innovation and Research Policy at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said: “In 2022, industry clinical trials contributed £7.4 billion to the wider UK economy, generating £1.2 billion revenue for the NHS and supporting a total of 65,000 jobs. It is in everyone’s interests that we attract more industry trials to the UK, enabling patients to benefit from participating in trials of the latest innovative treatments.

“The joint industry-government funding partnership supporting CRDCs and the new UK-wide CRDC Network dedicated to delivering industry trials, are clear signals that the UK is serious about commercial clinical research.

“It is our hope that the CRDCs and their UK-wide Network will rapidly become global beacons of excellence, offering industry clinical trials to an increasing number of patients throughout the UK.”

Professor Melanie Davies, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester and Honorary Consultant Diabetologist for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and Director of the CRDC Network, said: "We are really proud that University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust has been awarded this funding to host this federated CRDC Network across the four nations of the UK. We are fully committed to working with our partners across the UK to deliver faster, more efficient set up and delivery of commercial research.

"We want to drive increased investment from industry and enable even more people to take part in studies that can lead to the future approval of new medicines and devices for the benefit of patients in the UK."

Carys Thomas, Head of Policy, Health and Care Research Wales, said:

In Wales we are committed to working collaboratively to improve healthcare provision and boost our economy. This Network will provide a crucial way for us to come together to speed up trial set-up times, drive innovation, and deliver real results for patients.”

Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Chief Scientist (Health) for the Scottish Government, said: “This Network will unify the CRDCs not only across Scotland, but across the whole of the UK, driving improvements in commercial trial delivery. We hope that the establishment of this Network - and the CRDC scheme in general - sends a message that Scotland is eager to form key partnerships that attract investment and improve patient care and outcomes.”

Professor Ian Young, Chief Scientific Advisor and Director of Health and Social Care Research and Development for Northern Ireland, said: “We are pleased to be part of the new CRDC Network and to work with our partners in England, Scotland and Wales to boost commercial research across the UK - as well as in Northern Ireland specifically. 

"By working together we can maximise patient benefit and investment into our healthcare system, ensure participation in clinical trials is available as widely as possible, and enhance opportunities for a healthier future for NI.”

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