Blood cancer charity says clinical trials report must be a ‘wake-up call' for government and NHS leader
A new report from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) shows that far fewer people in the UK are being recruited into commercial clinical trials. Commercial trials are funded and run by pharmaceutical companies, and they often test the newest medicines long before they reach the NHS. This matters because those with blood cancer get early access to new medicines, especially when other treatments have stopped working.
Today’s report makes one thing painfully clear, and it should be a wake-up call for anyone responsible for clinical research in the UK.
- Tracey Loftis, Blood Cancer UK
Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, recruitment to commercial clinical trials dropped by 25%. The report shows that trial set-up times remain slow and many UK trial sites are falling short of their recruitment goals. While other countries open trials faster and fill places quickly, those in the UK are being left behind. This means people with blood cancer are missing out on potential lifesaving treatments.
Tracey Loftis, Deputy Director of Policy and Influencing at Blood Cancer UK, said:
“Today’s report makes one thing painfully clear, and it should be a wake-up call for anyone responsible for clinical research in the UK, because people with blood cancer are missing out on the opportunity to join clinical trials that could save or extend their lives. Blood cancer is the UK’s third biggest cancer killer, which is exactly why slow set up times and failing recruitment goals is not just disappointing but dangerous for those with blood cancer.
“While today’s report shows these systemic problems run far deeper than blood cancer alone, the risk is that unless we act quickly and decisively, even more people will be locked out of innovation they simply cannot afford to wait for. That’s why the rise in the number of trials starting in the UK means very little unless patients can actually take part in them, and why government, industry and the NHS must work together to speed up set-up times, raise recruitment targets and remove the barriers faced by underrepresented groups.
“We welcome the government’s promise to speed up trial approvals, but they must deliver real change, because every time other countries open trials faster and recruit more people, UK patients fall further behind. People with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma cannot wait months or even years for clinical trials to improve their recruitment practices - every day without access to these trials can cost lives.”
