News & Events

International Clinical Trials Day: 20 May

22 May 2012
International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on or near the 20 May each year, to commemorate the day that James Lind started his famous trial on the deadly disease scurvy. It provides a focal point to raise awareness of the importance of research to health care, and highlights how partnerships between patients and healthcare practitioners are vital to high-quality, relevant research.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health said:
“Clinical Trials are a vital element of the work supported and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Our role is to develop the research evidence to support decision making by professionals, policy makers and patients, make this evidence available, and make it available through publication to encourage its uptake and use.”

The NIHR commissions and funds research through a number of programmes, four of which are managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC). Of these, two programmes, and projects they have funded within their remits, aptly demonstrate the influence of NIHR funded research internationally:

The NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme produces independent research information about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests for those who plan, provide or receive care in the NHS. These cover a broad range of topics which include:

• A trial therapy for the treatment of children and young adults with the HIV infection - which focuses on ensuring that viral rebound does not occur.
• Prediction model for risk of complications in early onset pre-eclampsia - which aims to improve the accuracy of routine testing currently carried out before 34 weeks of pregnancy.
• Anglo-Danish-Dutch study into the treatment of diabetes - which will help improve approaches to care and screening.
• A randomised control trial to assess the comparative treatment of acyclovir and prednisolene for the treatment of Bell’s palsy.
• Strategies to help inform the health service in increasing cervical screening uptake amongst women aged 25.
• An international study into the plasma exchange and glucocorticoids in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody associated systemic vasculitis - which aims to establish whether plasma exchange reduces frequency of death and end stage renal disease.
• Comparing two approaches to abdominal aortic aneurysm - which compares the traditional approach of open aneurysm repair with the more novel endovascular aneurysm repair technique.

The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme is broadly aimed at supporting 'science driven' studies with an expectation of substantial health gain, and aims to support excellent clinical science with an ultimate view to improving health or patient care. Its remit includes clinical trials and evaluative studies, in patients. It evaluates clinical efficacy of interventions (where proof of concept in humans has already been achieved) which may add significantly to our understanding of biological or behavioural mechanisms, and processes. Funded trials cover a range of innovative topics including:

• A pioneering clinical trial in gene therapy - that could lead to a potentially life-changing new treatment for cystic fibrosis.
• Comparison of strategies to improve blood flow to the heart following angioplasty - that could reduce death and long term complications in heart attack patients.
• Prospective validation of a clinical decision rule in the diagnosis of heart failure in primary care - which could lead to more cost-effective use of resources.

The EME programme is funded by the MRC and NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland and NISCHR in Wales and the HSC R&D, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland