The HSC R&D Division have received funding of £12.6 million to be spent over the next five years to deliver on the objectives of the VPAG Investment Programme in Northern Ireland by establishing a Commercial Research Delivery Centre (NI CRDC).
NI CRDC explained
The funding from the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme will be used to bolster already existing clinical research delivery infrastructure throughout Northern Ireland. The NI CRDC is therefore not a single centre but a combination of different pieces of infrastructure throughout the NI clinical research landscape. The central management “hub” for the initiative will sit within the HSC R&D Division.
The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme.
The VPAG Investment Programme is a new joint government-industry programme to strengthen the UK’s global competitiveness in health and life sciences and drive innovation-led growth. Enabled by circa £400 million of funding from scheme members, the programme will target investment across the four nations, with initiatives in three focus areas - clinical trials, health technology assessment and manufacturing.
The Clinical trials investment, which will comprise £300 million of the overall investment, is intended to boost workforce capacity, resources and infrastructure to expedite delivery of commercial trials in the UK. This initiative will:
- Expand on and enhance existing dedicated commercial clinical research infrastructure across the UK; and
- Deliver flexible funding to pump prime clinical trial resources, by increasing workforce capacity and infrastructure relevant to the delivery of commercial clinical research.
There is particular focus on ensuring equity of opportunity across the UK, with trials taking place in diverse settings and maximising recruitment from underserved populations, through innovative recruitment and operationalisation of the broadest possible range of healthcare providers.
Commercial Clinical Research: The Northern Ireland Context
Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland is fully committed to supporting the ambitions of the VPAG Investment Programme, through enhanced delivery of commercial clinical trial activity within the HSC. While foremost in our priorities is the goal of improving the health and well-being of our population through high quality health and social care research, we also recognise the twin health and economic benefits of commercial clinical trials to improve health and wealth, making the UK the best place in the world to lead clinical research.
The VPAG Investment Programme gives us the opportunity to build on our clinical trial portfolio by bringing increased levels of commercial trial activity to Northern Ireland. We share the ambition of the VPAG Investment Programme to improve access for the whole population of the UK to trials of cutting-edge treatments for better health and social care.
In the simplest terms, the VPAG Investment Programme will allow Northern Ireland to create dedicated resource for efficient end-to-end delivery of commercial trials – this has never previously been a possibility due to budgetary limitations, but will ensure that we enhance our competitiveness and uptake of trials, while maintaining our existing high standards of recruitment and delivery.
How Northern Ireland plan to deliver on the aims of the VPAG Investment Programme
To deliver on the objectives of the VPAG Investment Programme, Northern Ireland will invest in its already existing clinical research infrastructure which will allow dedicated capacity and capability for commercial clinical trials to be delivered. The HSC R&D Division will act as a regional hub to co-ordinate activity across a number of spokes which will be dispersed to cover the full geographical region throughout NI.
For further information about this programme please contact Dr Sorcha Finnegan, Senior R&D Programme Manager, HSC R&D Division.