24% rise in the number of clinical trials according to Cell Therapy Catapult annual UK analysis

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Jul 2 2015

The Cell Therapy Catapult has published its annual analysis of the UK preclinical and clinical research landscapes with the release of its UK Clinical and Pre-Clinical Trials Databases. These show a 24% rise in the number of clinical trials and an increase of 22% in the number of pre-clinical projects. Sector growth came in the key areas of oncology, neurology, ophthalmology and cardiovascular.

The UK Clinical Trials Database covers cell therapy clinical trial activity that the Cell Therapy Catapult believes to be ongoing in the UK as of April 2015. It has been compiled and verified by the Cell Therapy Catapult team, and includes:

academic and commercial trials approved for inclusion by the sponsor
ongoing trials in the UK, regardless of the nationality of the sponsor
all trials involving cells as therapeutic agents*

The database is of use to academics, researchers and commercial organisations operating in the field of cell therapy by allowing them to understand the extent of activity in the UK. The database is used by the Cell Therapy Catapult to identify potential programmes for investment or partnership, and provides a highly relevant measure of progress in the field.

The Cell Therapy Catapult’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Natalie Mount, said: “This report clearly demonstrates that the environment in the UK is healthy for clinical and pre-clinical studies. Our research shows that there has been an increase in the number of commercial sponsors conducting clinical trials in the UK but the majority of projects are led by academic institutions and the sector still finds funding a challenge. While it is too early draw a definitive conclusion, we see progression of projects and expect the analyses of future years to show an industry undergoing significant growth and moving towards maturation, particularly making use of new adaptive regulatory pathways.”