Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is proud to announce the opening of the only Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) in the UK that is dedicated to the delivery of commercial clinical trials treating children and young people.
Sheffield Children’s has been awarded £3.3million following a national competition launched by the National Institute of Health and Care Research to establish a new network of centres dedicated to the delivery of commercial clinical trials.
This fantastic new centre builds on more than fifteen years of commercial trial work that has taken place on Sheffield Children’s Hospital’s Clinical Research Facility (CRF). It will see the expansion of the work of the CRF and means more children and young people will have greater access to cutting-edge treatments, that are often lifesaving, through participating in clinical trials.
Sheffield Children’s overarching purpose is to provide a healthier future for children and young people, and clinical research plays a vital part in this. Our CRDC will create opportunities to test innovative new treatments in a clinical research facility that is equipped with the latest technologies and offers an environment designed to support all children and young people.
The Sheffield CRDC is supported through £100 million of public-private investment which has enabled the creation of 20 Commercial Research Delivery Centres across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The CRDCs will support the rapid set-up of commercial trials UK wide and will seek to establish the UK as the leading country for the delivery of commercial research. In doing so we will ultimately offer greater opportunities for patients across the UK to access life changing treatments aimed at addressing many of the most common diseases impacting society today but also rare disease.
The involvement of children, young people and families is a huge part of the work of research, and will be of the Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC). Sheffield Children’s will be publishing regular opportunities for children, young people and their families to get involved in research – visit our website for up to date information [https://www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/research/take-part-in-research/](https://www.sheffieldchildrens.nhs.uk/research/take-part-in-research/)
At the moment, Sheffield Children’s is currently running commercial trials in a range of clinical specialties including Neurology and neuro-disability, Metabolic Bone, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Allergy, Oncology and Haematology, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ophthalmology, Respiratory and Infectious Disease and we hope to expand into other clinical specialties too.
**Professor Michael J Cork, Paediatric Dermatologist at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Director of Sheffield Children’s Commercial Research Delivery Centre said:**
“We’re very proud to be awarded funding by the National Institute of Health and Care Research to be a paediatric focused Commercial Research Delivery Centre.
“Over the past ten years we have increased our work with the top pharmaceutical companies to lead clinical trials to bring innovative new medicines to children. These trials have transformed the lives of many children and young people, who have been given a new life they never had before treatment.
“The Commercial Research Delivery Centre funding will allow us to substantially increase the number of commercial clinical trials it can support in a variety of specialties. A major focus will be on early intervention with babies, with innovative drugs, to alter the course and/or prevent the development of diseases. This will provide the opportunity to change the lives of children and young people before they’re available in an NHS clinic.”
**Ruth Brown, Chief Executive of Sheffield Children’s, said: “**This is a fantastic next step in furthering our commitment to research at Sheffield Children’s. International evidence shows that being excellent at research and innovation goes hand in hand with providing the best healthcare outcomes for patients. The creation of the CRDC at Sheffield Children’s is a significant step in our work to provide a healthier future for children and young people.”
In support of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan which will be set out in Spring, CRDCs will seek to take clinical trials into community settings so that more patients can readily access the medical benefits clinical trials can offer. We hope to see more children and young people from under-served regions gain greater access to clinical research opportunities.
**Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:**
“This significant private investment in health research is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK’s leading research and life sciences sector.
“The new hubs will help shift research into smaller communities, allowing more people to access cutting-edge treatments faster.
“Prevention is better than cure – these trials will help unlock the next generation of treatments, boost economic growth and build an NHS fit for the future.”
The funding is part of a wider £400 million joint public-private investment scheme – the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme. It is a unique partnership between the government and the pharmaceutical industry to boost the global competitiveness of the UK life science sector and stimulate economic growth.