Industry Facts

1. According to statistics from the Office for Life Sciences, interventional clinical trials in 2023-2024 featured 19,984 participants – a 9.2% reduction compared to the same time frame in 2022-2023. 1,2
   
2. Despite this drop, the overall number of participants recruited to both commercial and non-commercial trials in 2023-2024 increased compared to 2022-2023, with over 349,000 participants recruited. 1,2
   
3. Commercial trials (counting as those run by pharma companies) only accounted for 5% of patients recruited in the UK in 2023. The other 95% of patients were recruited for trials run by non-commercial bodies, including hospitals and universities.1
   
4. The amount of advanced therapy clinical trials, such as those investigating cell and gene therapies, increased by 7% in 2024, up to a total of 187. This included a 70% growth in phase 1 trials, from 24 trials to 41.3
   
5. To increase access of UK patients to interventional trials and new therapeutics, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recently relaunched the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) – a platform to help streamline the regulatory process and increase speed-to-patient.4
   

References

1. Visit: gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-data-2024/life-sciences-competitiveness-indicators-2024-summary
2. Visit: pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/clinical-trial-recruitment-in-england-fell-by-almost-10-in-2023-2024
3. Visit: ct.catapult.org.uk/news/70-increase-in-phase-i-advanced-therapy-clinical-trials-in-the-uk-in-2024
4. Visit: gov.uk/government/news/uk-patients-enabled-access-to-transformative-new-medicines-in-shortest-time-possible-via-newintegrated-innovative-licensing-and-access-pathway

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