NIHR Industry Hub

Great science needs great partners. Here’s how collaboration is turning an academic prototype into a market-ready diagnostic tool. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, but current diagnostic pathways place an unsustainable demand on the NHS. To tackle this, CanSense developed an AI-powered liquid biopsy and partnered with us to accelerate its journey to patients. With support from the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS), the Accelerated Surgical Care HealthTech Research Centre, and a £1.16m i4i Product Development Award, CanSense has achieved major milestones: ✨ Validating high-throughput testing with 3,000+ patient samples ✨ Securing £1.5M in seed funding and expanding their workforce ✨ Proving their blood test can overcome critical cultural screening barriers for underserved communities Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/d5jRVYjS

500 innovators and counting. The NIHR has now supported over 500 companies via the NHS Innovation Service, helping connect industry with the UK’s research ecosystem to accelerate innovation into the NHS. This article shares the stories, the economic impact, and what this milestone means for future collaboration in the UK. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ejgkTWGC #NIHRIndustry #HealthInnovation

Have you seen our new article? Here are 3️⃣reasons to take a look: 1️⃣. We unpack the transparency requirements introduced as part of the 2026 update to the UK Clinical Trial Regulations. Hear from Clive Collett (Head of Policy and Engagement) at Health Research Authority about what this means in practice. 2️⃣. Check your public and participant facing communications against 5 best practice tips devised by experts in our Patient Engagement in Clinical Development (PECD) service team. 3️⃣. Hear about how moving toward a participant-centric model has brought benefits for Pfizer and AAVantgarde Bio. Read now ➡️https://lnkd.in/diqZviCy

Did you catch the recent ITV News coverage of our world-first clinical trial milestone? 📺 Dr Ben Uttenthal, Director of Cell and Gene Therapies at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), recently spoke to ITV about a groundbreaking Phase II CAR-T cell therapy trial for systemic lupus erythematosus. The UK recently became the first country globally to recruit a patient into this investigational trial. Supported by the NIHR Industry Hub, this global milestone demonstrates our unique ecosystem capabilities. By proactively navigating complex setup requirements, we are helping commercial sponsors deliver advanced cell therapy studies faster than competing international sites. The real reward of accelerating commercial research? Giving patients with severe, treatment-resistant conditions faster access to life-changing innovations. Watch the full ITV feature and read the NIHR case study in the comments below 👇

Did you catch Maria Koufali PhD MBA's latest blog? One year on from the launch of the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, Maria reflects on progress so far, and looks ahead at developments still to come. Year one was all about laying the groundwork needed to translate the UK’s research excellence into better patient outcomes and tangible economic growth. Now, it’s about scale. The national commitment is to double commercial clinical trial recruitment. Our ambition goes further - we aim to double recruitment in every region, while driving growth across every trial phase and therapeutic area. Read year one reflections and Maria’s blueprint for scaling up ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dJj8tqMK \#UKLifeSciences \#AcceleratingClinicalTrials

The August edition of our Industry Hub newsletter is hitting your inbox this week. Included in this edition are: 🔴Reflections one year on from the publication of the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, plus a forward look at further developments expected this autumn 🔴News of a global milestone - the UK becomes the first country in the world to recruit for an investigational lupus CAR-T therapy 🔴Details of Diagnostic Evidence workshops (ideal for diagnostic companies, especially SMEs) coming up later this year Missed this edition? View our August newsletter online: https://lnkd.in/dZX4isqe ➕ Subscribe to receive future editions straight to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/eiw_RUtt

A £2.9m NIHR grant supported the development of an app to help reduce the risk of dementia. Researchers at UCL are developing an app, helping people with risk factors for dementia to make positive health and lifestyle changes. Support from the NIHR Dementia Translational Research Collaboration (TRC), allowed UCL researchers to network with other TRC members in dementia research. Read now to learn more 👇: https://lnkd.in/eZfNCySz #NIHRIndustry #LifeSciences

Developing a new HealthTech solution? Understanding NHS sustainability requirements and procurement priorities is crucial for your roadmap. Join our colleagues at the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre Network for their Sustainability Forum on Thursday 24 September. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain practical insights into NHS net zero ambitions, explore real-world case studies, and connect with leaders across the sector. More information below 👇 and secure your place here: https://lnkd.in/eqmYETvx

Want to improve trial recruitment and delivery? The answer might be simpler than you think: listen to patients. Incorporating the patient voice from the very beginning can transform your trial's performance. Dive into this article to see how direct patient dialogue is shaping research and driving success for commercial sponsors: https://lnkd.in/ePCxcWMd #NIHRIndustry #PatientVoice

Accelerating global commercial research in the UK. In collaboration with the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway (UKVIP), we helped Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) set up and recruit the world’s first patient into a groundbreaking Phase II CAR-T trial for lupus. By proactively anticipating and managing study-wide issues and providing access to specialist delivery environments, the UK is helping life sciences sponsors deliver complex cell therapy studies faster than competing international sites. The real impact? Giving UK patients early access to life-changing treatments. Trial participant Laura shared: “This is the first time since I was a teenager that I’ve really felt healthy.” Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/dDhKyhWH