Thursday 20 May 2021 saw us mark International Clinical Trials Day with the launch of two new initiatives to help industry partners and NHS sites to restart and accelerate clinical research – ultimately benefitting patients. We also shared exciting news of new collaborative partnerships with pharmaceutical companies – and, needless to say, Covid-19 research continued at pace. Here’s a look back at May’s top stories from across Birmingham Health Partners.

Clinical Research Restart & Recovery Resource
Covid-19 has had a significant impact on non-Covid clinical research, with many studies still paused due to the pandemic. This Clinical Research Restart Resource has been developed by BHP and ABPI, co-produced with patient involvement leads and NHS partners, as a useful aid to sites and sponsors across the UK who are restarting non-Covid research … Continue reading

Clinical trials: Bringing industry and academia together
Birmingham Precision Medicine Centre Industry Trials Hub aims to change the relationship between BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham and its industry partners, working much more closely to develop accelerated clinical trials. Professor Pam Kearns, Director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials at the University, explains how this new approach will streamline trials; enable … Continue reading

Bayer to invest in childhood cancer trial at the University of Birmingham
Significant funding from Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and nutrition, is enabling the University of Birmingham’s Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) to deliver a new study arm of an international clinical trial which aims to identify more effective treatments for a rare type of … Continue reading

University of Birmingham joins drug discovery collaboration with Evotec and Bristol Myers Squibb
BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham is part of a new industry collaboration launched to accelerate drug discovery projects by fast-tracking research from lab to patient. Birmingham is one of four universities selected by drug development company Evotec SE and global pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb to be part of the newly formed beLAB1407. Evotec, … Continue reading

12-week delay for second Pfizer vaccine significantly increases antibody responses in older people
Antibody response in people aged over 80 is three-and-a-half times greater in those who have the second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine after 12 weeks compared to those who have it at a three-week interval, finds a new study led by BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham in collaboration with Public Health England. The … Continue reading

Agents that target viral RNA could be basis for next-gen anti-virals
A new approach to tackling viruses by targeting the ‘control centre’ in viral RNA could lead to broad spectrum anti-viral drugs and provide a first line of defence against future pandemics, according to new research at BHP founder-member the University of Birmingham. In a new study, published in Angewandte Chemie, researchers have shown how this approach … Continue reading