A new £120,000 Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Medipex, Innovations North and TrusTECH (the 3 NHS Innovation Hubs for the North of England) and Manchester Business School is set to attract more clinical research to the North of England by facilitating the placement of clinical trials.  

The KTP will enable the development of an online database of experienced NHS investigators and clinical expertise that gives pharmaceutical and medical device companies, wishing to place clinical trials, access to NHS experts.  

The database, an expanded project originating from original research by TrusTECH^® will play a vital role in supporting clinical trials across the North of England and will help to reverse the decline of clinical research in the UK, improve patient care, and boost the regional economy. 

The objectives of the KTP are to:

• Develop the strategic business model for the pooled NHS Innovations clinical trial placement resource
• Expand and enhance the resource to ensure the information needs of stakeholders are met and to maximise its functionality for users
• Explore the potential to extend the resource at a national level 

Mr Adrian Warner, business development manager at TrusTECH^® said: “The datasets the NHS Innovation Hubs hold are unique and already a powerful resource for organisations wanting to place trials with experienced NHS researchers.  I’m very much looking forward to working with Manchester Business School, to develop a more operationally and strategically robust tool that will make a significant difference to organisations wanting to place clinical trials in the UK.  This is also a great opportunity to further build on the synergy that already exists between The University of Manchester and the NHS.″  

Dr Judy Zolkiewski heads up the KTP at Manchester Business School and explained how the project will benefit the region: “This project highlights how our research expertise can make a tangible difference by improving the infrastructure that supports clinical trial placement in the North - it’s a win-win partnership.” 

Mr Richard Clark, Chief Executive of Medipex said:“This is an excellent project to be involved in as it brings together such a wide array of expertise to facilitate innovation.  There is a vast array of innovative technology across the North of England, and marrying this to the clinical expertise of it’s world leading NHS trusts will provide a place for it to flourish.”