Oxford University’s expertise recognised by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration
30 Nov 07
Three of Oxford University’s clinical trials units have been formally recognised as centres of expertise in clinical trials.
The Diabetes Trials Unit, Clinical Trials Research Unit, and Oxford Clinical Trials Unit for Mental Illness (OCTUMI) have all applied for and been awarded full registration by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (CRC).
Registration, introduced this year, is designed to help improve the quality and quantity of available expertise to carry out clinical trials in the UK. CTUs bring together the experts needed to undertake a clinical trial, including clinicians, statisticians, and trial managers. Registered CTUs have the expertise to design, coordinate and analyse multi-centre clinical trials, ensuring that they take overall responsibility for the design, conduct, data management, publicity, and analysis of a trial.
The Diabetes Trials Unit (DTU), founded in 1985 by Professor Rury Holman, is one of the largest European clinical diabetes research groups. The DTU runs several multi-centre clinical-outcome studies including Treating To Target in Type 2 diabetes study (4-T), and the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS).
The Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit is part of the Department of Pharmacology, undertaking clinical trials in cancer treatment. OCTRU encompasses the collaborative work of the Centre for Statistics in Medicine, (CSM), and the Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO). OCTO is concerned with the practical application of high-quality clinical research into innovative and effective cancer therapies particularly in the field of gastrointestinal cancer. CSM has a particular focus on clinical trials of new treatments, especially in cancer, and is active in a large number of clinical trials.
The CTUs were required to meet a number of key competencies, which were assessed against detailed evaluation criteria and reviewed by an international panel, to ensure trials are conducted in line with appropriate standards and regulations.
The National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), Oxford Respiratory Trials Unit, and the Oxford Vaccine Group, were all awarded provisional registration. They were seen to be working towards developing sufficient expertise to enable full registration, but did not yet match all criteria relating to resources, infrastructure, and experience.
The UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) was established in 2004 and is a partnership of organisations working together to establish the UK as a world leader in clinical research by harnessing the research potential of the National Health Service.