The Northern Alliance Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (NA-ATTC) have established a Trial Coordination Unit (TCU) bringing together NHS Trusts and Boards over a very wide geography in the North of the UK including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Belfast. This forum has nurtured synergistic integrated working to harmonise and streamline trial delivery and promote effective collaboration through sharing best practice. It has fostered disease specific clinical networks to optimise efficient participant recruitment and to facilitate sustainable adoption and equitable provision / follow-up of patients receiving Advanced Therapies regardless of postcode. The TCU has completed a robust audit in four of the participating centres to evaluate Advanced Therapy clinical trial activity from 2018 to 2022.  The results confirmed a 275% increase in activity and highlighted the huge potential of the North of the UK to deliver further impact and growth in this therapeutic area:

 

% increase from 2018 to 2022              275%

% increase from 2020 to 2022              67%

The audit confirmed that all therapeutic modalities are being delivered (gene therapy, cell therapy and tissue-engineered medicines) for the full spectrum of clinical indications, including haematological and solid organ malignancies, retinal and limbal eye pathologies, neuromuscular disorders and liver disease.