UK patients get mixed news on clinical trials, drug firms blame the NICE

UK patients have been given mixed news about their future access to experimental drugs as part of clinical trials. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, has announced a package of measures designed to boost R&D investment and the faster uptake of new treatments. On the other hand, a number of drugmakers have warned that they are not enrolling patients for some comparative clinical studies, claiming that too few people in the UK receive gold-standard care to make the data valid.

A major element of the government's announcement is the "right" of patients to be informed via the National Health Service of relevant clinical trials. Under current arrangements, registers of clinical trials are available, including that operated by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, which require patients to search for the information themselves. With the global market in oncology drugs expected to more than double from 2006 to 2011, according to IMS Health estimates, combined with reports of difficulties in the USA with finding enough patients to enrol in cancer drug studies (Marketletters passim), the NHS approach is likely to be welcomed by drugmakers.

Drugs firms drop UK clinical trials