Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Professor Alison Strath, and Fiona Cohrane: Catalysing the medicines ecosystem in Scotland
Scotland’s growing commercial research infrastructure and strong NHS, academic and industry partnerships are helping widen access to clinical trials, accelerate adoption and strengthen the UK life sciences ecosystem.
(Pictured from left to right: Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Professor Alison Strath, and Fiona Cochrane)
MHRA foreword
Scotland has a distinctive and important role in the UK’s life sciences ecosystem, with strengths in clinical research, medicines development and partnership across the NHS, academia and industry.
As Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Professor Alison Strath, and Fiona Cochrane highlight in this blog, investment in research infrastructure, wider access to clinical trials and collaboration across the Scottish life sciences ecosystem can support better outcomes for patients as well as sustainable growth.
Regulation is an important part of that journey. Earlier engagement between researchers, innovators, health systems and the MHRA can support evidence generation and help safe and effective products progress from research towards patient access.
Thank you to Anna, Alison and Fiona for sharing their perspectives on Scotland’s medicines and clinical research landscape.
Blog authors:
- Professor Alison Strath, FRCPharm, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and Deputy Director, Scottish Government
- Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Glasgow and Chief Scientist (Health) Scottish Government
- Fiona Cochrane, Head of Communications and Engagement, NHS Research Scotland
Investing in the future
Launch of Commercial Research Delivery Centres (CRDCs) represents a significant public-private investment blueprint, designed to future-proof the UK healthcare landscape and help turn scientific discoveries into real-world medicines.
Funded through the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) Investment Programme, Scotland has established four CRDCs and forms part of a network of 35 CRDCs across the country – all working together to strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in commercial clinical research.
These centres are designed to fast-track clinical trials, improve patient access to innovative therapies, and drive economic growth. The benefits are evident, with an increase in commercial studies being delivered in Scotland, and an increase in participation – up by 21% against the previous year, with Scottish sites also securing five European and one global first for patient recruitment. It is not just about statistics; this is about giving patients access to novel medicines that are not yet approved or funded for standard NHS use; and ensuring opportunities are made available more equitably across the country.
It is why significant effort is being directed towards implementing a hub-and-spoke model, enabling CRDCs, each partnered with a Scottish Medical School, to extend their reach through smaller spoke sites, including GP practices via Practice Embedded Research Units (PERUs), and into patients’ homes through the Scottish Decentralised Clinical Trials (SCOT-DCT) initiative. Together, these approaches aim to improve access to research for rural and underserved communities.
Maximising the triple helix partnership
While the NHS is a vital engine of clinical research delivery, it cannot do this alone.
Uniting the strengths of the NHS, academia and industry is needed. For example, the Scotland Renal AstraZeneca (SRAZ) Programme launched in 2024 to accelerate clinical research and develop targeted medicines for chronic kidney disease (CKD), we have worked collaboratively alongside the Universities of Glasgow and Dundee to build infrastructure, enhance expertise and widen opportunities for patients to participate in studies. With one in ten people in Scotland affected by CKD developing new treatments and medicines to slow disease progression and reduce the need for dialysis or transplantation is vital. We have tripled recruitment to renal trials in Scotland since launch demonstrating how the triple helix model can improve outcomes while attracting high-value research to Scotland.
Accelerating adoption and uptake
The pathway for introducing newly licensed medicines into clinical practice in Scotland is well established. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) undertakes health technology assessment (HTA) using a deliberative decision-making framework and a qualitative approach to the application of modifiers, with increased flexibility when considering rare and end-of-life medicines. Horizon scanning processes are in place, and advance planning reports are provided to Health Boards, specialist services and diagnostic testing leads. An Access to New Medicines Horizon Scanning Advisory Board (HSAB) identifies and considers new medicines with a significant disruptive impact on service delivery, providing early insight to assist proactive planning, facilitating timely access to these medicines.
Work continues to support Health Boards in evolving medicine formularies, using a regional collaborative consensus model, building upon proven existing local governance and decision-making processes. Work is underway to consider a more formal national medicines readiness function to provide strategic leadership, operational co-ordination and oversight to allow innovation to be adopted at scale, through a clearer national operating model.
Looking to the future
While improving patient outcomes remains the primary focus, this growing ecosystem also offers wider long-term benefits, including inward investment, economic growth and job creation across the life sciences sector.
This journey is ongoing but as global healthcare moves toward advanced therapeutics, robotics, digital tools, artificial intelligence, data use, precision medicine and preventative care, Scotland has a clear opportunity to help shape what comes next. Our unique data assets, digital infrastructure and NHS-academic-industry partnerships enable us to identify and engage patients at scale to offer faster, more inclusive clinical research and timely access to new medicines to deliver precision population health.