Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 9 No 2 p29
February 2002

News summary

Related websites
National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC) (www.ntrac.org.uk)

New cancer research network should make novel treatments available to more patients

A new network of Government-funded cancer research centres has been established to make experimental treatments accessible to more patients.

The National Translational Cancer Research Network will invest £11m in eight centres across the UK (Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford, Newcastle, Southampton, and three centres in London). Each centre has a number of collaborating organisations.

Currently, it is estimated that only one in 10 potential candidates for experimental chemotherapy are entered into early clinical trials. The centres offering these trials are also concentrated in the south of the country. The establishment of the new network would make it possible for more patients to move on to new treatments if they have failed to respond to conventional drugs.

Health minister Yvette Cooper said: "This new research network means many more patients in every corner of the country will have the chance to take part in early clinical trials. We know that people want the chance to try experimental new treatments."

Each centre will receive around £1m from the Government to help build the research infrastructure and workforce capability that will be needed to enrol patients in clinical trials. The network's co-ordinating centre is also working with other institutions so that they can achieve network status.

Details of the work of the National Translational Cancer Research Network, known as NTRAC, including the locations of the research centres and collaborating organisations, can be found at www.ntrac.org.uk