Insight into the Northern Ireland Clinical Research Network (NICRN) and Northern Ireland Cancer Trials Network (NICTN):
Clinical research networks are supported through funding from HSC R&D Division (with additional support from Cancer Research UK and Friends of the Cancer Centre for the NICTN), and mirror the clinical research infrastructure in place across the UK. HSC R&D Division invests over £3m annually in staffing these networks in Northern Ireland, across 12 priority clinical areas. The networks support clinical trials and other high quality clinical research, and give patients in NI the opportunity to participate in trials of potentially beneficial new diagnostics, treatments or prevention strategies, often avoiding the previous need to travel to GB.
Each year there are between 150-200 research studies and clinical trials open across NI recruiting 3,000-5,000 patients annually. To date over 30,000 patients have been recruited onto trials across the areas of interest of the NICRN and NICTN, with many more patients having been screened for participation in trials.
While the actual numbers of patients recruited to trials varies each year due to the difference in the type and complexity of trials, this is only part of the story. Clinical Trials often provide access to new treatments and drugs not available as part of standard care. They can also save the HSC money where companies who pay for the trials provide the treatment costs. Also in recent years trials are becoming more targeted to identify the most appropriate patients who are most likely to benefit from the intervention. Although this reduces the numbers of patients who might go on the trial and increases the workload of the trial teams to identify and recruit suitable participants its aim is to develop much more effective treatments. Other trials are highly complex, targeting rare conditions and therefore will only recruit 1 or 2 patients but offer interventions otherwise unavailable.
Examples of Impact from Research Trials
Neonatal Research Trial: The TOBY trial supported in Northern Ireland through the NI Clinical Research Network Children’s Interest Group has changed the delivery of care for babies with perinatal asphyxia, with cooling now well established as a proven treatment option.
Cancer Research Trial: VeCarbox, a dose finding study of bortezomib in addition to epirubicin, carboplatin and capecitabine (ECarboX) in advanced gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, led by Dr Eatock, supported by the Northern Ireland Cancer Trials Network and sponsored by the Belfast HSC Trust, has shown that the addition of bortezomib to ECarboX is well tolerated and response rates are comparable with standard chemotherapy.