Feature articles
APHINITY for Industry supports global Sheffield success
Commercial clinical research is a highly competitive environment, so opening the first site and recruiting the first patient to a global study are signifi cant challenges. The National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN) has recently achieved these goals for the first time through the APHINITY study. When you take into account the focus, size and profile of APHINITY, you gain a true understanding of the scale of their success.
The A to Z of collaboration (PDF, 352kb)
A pioneering collaboration between pharma giant AstraZeneca and the Cancer Research Network is suggesting innovative new ways for academic and commercial clinical researchers to work together, which could bring major benefits to NHS cancer patients in the future.
All under control (PDF, 252kb)
Randomised controlled trials or RCTs are considered by many to be the “gold standard” in clinical research. The Cancer Research Network has successfully increased the level of RCTs that it supports year on year, to record levels.
Singing the praises of breakthrough in bladder cancer treatment (PDF, 350kb)
More than 10,000 people are diagnosed with bladder cancer each year in the UK. Many of these suffer a recurrence of the disease if standard treatments fail and can often be left facing major surgery as their only option. But the Cancer Research Network supports a study which is trialling a pioneering new treatment that could give patients an alternative.
Collaboration proves crucial to recruitment success
For industry one of the biggest benefits of working with a Topic-specific Clinical Research Network is being able to tap into the expertise and support offered by Clinical Studies Groups (CSGs). One such CSG recently played an important role in the performance of an AstraZeneca sponsored study supported by the National Cancer Research Network (NCRN). As a result, the study overcame unforseen obstacles and led the world in terms of recruitment.
Metric recruitment measures-up
Over the last 25 years, rates of malignant melanoma in Britain have risen faster than any of the top ten cancers. During this time, research has struggled to develop a systemic treatment to improve survival rates, but the National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN) is now supporting METRIC, a study that is part of a new wave of targeted therapies offering novel treatment opportunities to patients.
