WIREDGOV

Scottish patients will benefit from the latest medical advances under a new Pfizer and NHS Scotland partnership for clinical trials.

Further boosting Scotland’s reputation as a global centre of excellence for research, four health boards (NHS Grampian, Greater Glasgow &Clyde, Lothian and Tayside) will become a Pfizer INSPIRE site. This will see them become one of the company’s preferred international sites for future research studies.

Under the programme, Pfizer and the health boards will share expert knowledge and experience of medicines research to help bring innovative new medicines to patients in Scotland, the UK and around the world.

Making the announcement at the second NHS Research Scotland conference Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said:

“I believe it is only right that Scottish patients benefit from the medical advances and new treatments that clinical trials make available.

“That is why the Scottish Government strongly supports clinical research as a way to develop and improve the treatments and services available in our NHS.

“This news also demonstrates our position at the forefront of this field and I am delighted to see Scottish research once again gaining global recognition by being chosen as an INSPIRE site.”

Commenting on the partnership, Dr David Montgomery, Oncology Medical Director, Pfizer Oncology UKsaid:

“We are committed to delivering new research to change the lives of patients and this partnership will help bring the latest innovative medicines to the people of Scotland.

“Working together for our nation’s health is key as we strive to achieve a more positive environment for life sciences in the UK, and it will play a key role in further strengthening the research culture within NHS Scotland.”

The INSPIRE partnership will put the NHS at the centre of all stages of research, from identifying priorities and areas for study, carrying out studies, engaging patients in research and putting the findings into evidence based practice.

In order to become an INSPIRE site the health boards met a series of strict criteria and showed that they are a highly productive and effective site for medicines research and development.

Recruitment to Pfizer (and other) clinical trials will be enhanced by the ongoing success of the Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE), which the Minister also announced today now exceeds 11,000 registrants.

There are currently over 90 Pfizer INSPIRE sites across the world and the Scottish site is now the second in the UK, following the announcement in May this year of the Newcastle INSPIRE site.