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More people with dementia across the UK will be able to take part in research into the condition and help accelerate the development of new treatments. This comes after the Government announces £49.9 million of new funding. The investment will go towards a coordinated network of dementia trials sites across the country.
Improving diagnosis and treatment for dementia and neurodegenerative conditions is a top priority for the NIHR and DHSC. The NIHR will build capacity and expertise in early phase dementia trials across the UK. The NIHR Dementia Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) will expand. It will develop a Trials Network (D-TRC-TN).
This will offer people with dementia the opportunity to take part in early phase clinical trials. This will be irrespective of where they live. It will widen access to a larger, more diverse population. This network will work with the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission. Together they will enhance trials conduct and increase the number and speed of clinical trials in dementia. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the Mission in August 2022.
NIHR funding will be split over five years. It will be granted to University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH). They will host and coordinate the Trials Network. There will be an open, transparent process to select sites during the programme. The coordinating centre will invite applications for membership of the D-TRC-TN. It will build capacity and expertise at each member site to optimise function.
The initial phase of the programme will focus on improving processes required to conduct dementia trials in sites. This will enhance speed and delivery. The number of sites will expand and the network community will develop over time.
The D-TRC-TN will work closely with industry partners, and the wider dementia and neurodegeneration ecosystem. The D-TRC-TN will have four key aims:
- Accelerating set up and regulatory processes for dementia studies
- Increasing industry engagement for early phase dementia trials
- Embedding patient support: enhancing recruitment, support and diversity within the D-TRC-TN and the research it supports
- Increasing capacity and expertise for early phase dementia trials, thus enhancing the number of people with dementia in the UK who can participate
Dr Catherine Mummery is Chair of the NIHR Dementia (TRC). She is also a dementia researcher at the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH. She will lead on launching and delivering this new trial network. She will work alongside the Deputy Chairs of the NIHR Dementia TRC:
- Dr Vanessa Raymont, Senior Clinical Researcher at University of Oxford
- Professor John-Paul Taylor, Professor of Translational Dementia Research at Newcastle University
Dr Catherine Mummery said: “I am honoured to be leading this important and timely initiative, which recognises we are at a historic point in dementia research with disease modifying therapies emerging. We must seize momentum, working across the UK with partners such as the Mission and industry, world class researchers, and patient representatives to build expertise, capacity, and support in a unified network of trials sites. This will accelerate therapy development for dementia, enable participation for all regardless of location or demographic, and reframe the UK as the ‘go-to’ place for gold standard conduct of early phase trials. By doing so, we will improve care for all people with dementia.”
Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Executive of the NIHR, said: “We are making a substantial investment in this Dementia Trials Network, so that we can accelerate opportunities for new treatments for patients across the country. We know the impact that this can have for people living with the disease. This ambitious Trials Network will help extend life-changing access to dementia research and make a huge contribution to our scientific understanding of this disease.”
Helen Whately, Minister for Care and Mental Health, said: “A dementia diagnosis is life-changing for patients and their loved ones. Early diagnosis of dementia is vital so people can get support to help them live with the disease and keep independent for as long as possible. This funding will help increase the number of clinical trials and the range of participants. That means more and better research to identify new tests and treatments and improve our understanding of this cruel disease.”
Members of the public can take part in dementia research through the NIHR’s Join Dementia Research service or Be Part of Research service.
Dementia Researcher’s NIHR funding comes to UCL through this new service, as part of the D-TRC efforts Dementia Researcher we will be doing more to focus on supporting and inspiring more healthcare professionals to become involved in research study delivery. If you word in the delivery of drug / clinical trials and would like to join our team of regular contributors get in touch – dementiaresearcher@ucl.ac.uk
Dementia Researcher
