UK seeks to boost clinical trials attractiveness with faster assessments and agile regulation

13 January 2026

Efforts to return to growth in UK clinical trials are gathering pace, with new figures showing a sharp rise in activity in 2025.

Regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) promises changes this year–including a fast-track route–that will help companies get studies up and running more quickly, so patients can benefit from new treatments sooner.

Data from the MHRA shows clinical trial applications received rose by 9% between January and November 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. 

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