Following Lord O’Shaughnessy’s new review into commercial clinical trials, senior lead Professor Sir Martin Landray has co-authored an article for The Lancet exploring how the UK can deliver on the recommendations outlined in the review.

Lord O’Shaughnessy’s report identifies eight major deficiencies in clinical trials in the UK with 27 recommendations, a key theme of which is the need for big improvements in the regulation of trials.

Research must be improved through well-designed, well-implemented clinical trials that can generate robust evidence to inform decision-making in public health. Not just in the UK, but globally.

To achieve this, it is crucial that trials are supported by good guidance that prioritises principles and purpose; principles that remain relevant in diverse contexts now and in the future, and which allow those designing and conducting trials to devise and deploy methods that best suit the circumstances.

“It is imperative that the UK government, MHRA, and NHS organisations adopt O’Shaughnessy’s recommendations and in turn make full use of the wider expertise and experience in clinical trials to deliver the necessary transformations for efficient trials that carefully designed and appropriately regulated,” the article states.

“A more agile, streamlined, and efficient approach to clinical trial conduct, regulation, and oversight in the UK and globally would benefit public health worldwide.”

Read the full article by Martin, Professor Richard Haynes and Associate Professor Christina Reith in The Lancet here

Photo by Louis Reed from Unsplash