The University of Liverpool will become one of seven national 'hubs' for developing clinical trial methodologies following an award of £2.75 million by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
The MRC, in partnership with the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), has provided £16 million of funding to establish a national network of centres which will develop new and improved methods to design, conduct, analyse and report clinical trials.
Led by Professor Paula Williamson, Director of the University's Clinical Trials Research Centre (CTRC), in collaboration with Lancaster and Bangor Universities, the Liverpool-based North West Hub for Trail Methodology Research will provide clinical trial methodological expertise in areas such as drug safety, medicines for children, epilepsy and cancer. This will include research into the design and analysis of both early and late phase trials and issues related to the patient perspective.
Professor Williamson said: "Clinical trials are a vital component in the process of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases throughout the medical world. Our aim is to create a world-class centre where issues facing the clinical trials community can be investigated. Our overall objective is to improve patient care by increasing the validity and relevance of evidence upon which decisions about healthcare are based."
Each hub will undertake high quality research into trial methodology and will also provide support and advice on clinical trial methods within the research community. The hubs will be linked, creating a national facility that provides access to expertise across a broad range of methodological and therapeutic areas.
The University's Clinical Trials Research Centre is one of only 26 Clinical Trials Units awarded full registration status by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration.
Notes to editors:
1. The University of Liverpool is a member of the Russell Group of leading research-intensive institutions in the UK. It attracts collaborative and contract research commissions from a wide range of national and international organisations valued at more than £108 million annually.
2. Achieving full Clinical Trial Unit registration status will allow the University's CTRC to contribute to an online resource listing national expertise in the design and conduct of clinical trials. The website will, for the first time, enable centralised information to be shared on units able to design, develop, manage and analyse trials. It will become a valuable resource for clinical researchers and funders.
CTU's will specialise in bringing together clinical, statistical, trial management and information systems personnel needed to design, manage and analyse a trial. The University's Clinical Trials Research Centre achieved full CTU status by showing its capability to co-ordinate multicentre clinical trials of the highest standard to an international panel.
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