Although Britain is up two places for the number of Phase II and III trials, it has slipped one place for Phase I trials.
It was a mixed result for the UK, although the annual report on the health of UK industry clinical trials from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) confirmed that the UK is making some progress toward rebuilding its global position as a desirable location for industry clinical trials.
Britain is up two spots to eighth place for the number of Phase III trials.
It is not quite out of the woods yet. Between 2017 and 2021, the UK fell from fourth to tenth place in the global rankings for the number of Phase III trials it hosts. Britain also remains below similar European countries like Spain (3rd), Germany (6th) and Italy (7th).
“It’s promising to see that positive government action in response to earlier decline is beginning to pave the way to industry clinical trials recovery, although the UK still has a long way to go to return to its previous globally leading position,” said Richard Torbett, chief executive of the ABPI.
A mixed bag
The UK also gained two places for Phase II trials, moving from sixth to fourth, but fell one place in the Phase I rankings down to fifth place.
For the second year in a row, the total number of industry clinical trials initiated in the UK increased, up from 411 trials in 2022 to 426 in 2023. These studies generate new treatments and interventions for patients and create valuable revenue for the NHS.
The number of Phase III trials, the stage closest to a treatment being approved for patients, have increased by 16.5% since 2022, from 182 to 212. The number of Phase II trials initiated in the UK in 2023, however, remained flat year on year, and initiations of Phase I trials, were down by 26.6% from 79 to 58.
Significant contributions to the economy
Increasing industry clinical trial activity in the UK can play a significant role in realising the government’s missions for health and economic growth, benefitting individuals and society. Research-active hospitals are associated with better patient outcomes, and industry clinical trials bring significant benefits to the UK economy, the NHS and productivity.
In 2022, industry clinical trials contributed £7.4 billion (to the UK economy, supporting 65,000 jobs and generating £1.2 billion of revenue for the NHS, which created over 13,000 NHS research-linked jobs.
The ABPI pointed out that if the UK could return its industry clinical trial activity to the levels last seen in 2017, it could generate an additional £3 billion and support 25,000 new jobs, including £485 million of NHS revenue and 5,000 clinical research jobs in the NHS.
Globally, the UK has long been seen as one of the highest potentials for growth in industry clinical trials in the world, particularly for large-scale, late-phase clinical trials.
“Positioning industry clinical research as a key element in the forthcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan and NHS 10 Year Plan will send a signal to global industry that the UK is open for business again,” said Torbett.
