Good news · Health & science · 22 October 2026
Government meets target to speed up UK clinical trials
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced it has met its target to reduce the average set-up time for commercial clinical trials in the UK. The average time decreased to 100 days in the three months to March this year.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced that the government has met its target to speed up clinical trials. Health Innovation Minister James Frith stated: "For patients and their families, a clinical trial can offer hope of a treatment that once seemed unimaginable."
Figures published with the announcement show the average set-up time for commercial trials in the UK decreased to 100 days in the three months to March this year. This is down from 153 in the same period last year, representing a 35% reduction in delivery times. All 24 commercial trials during that period were set up within 150 days.
More than £3 billion in new public-private investment was attracted through the first year of the Plan. In September 2026, 100% of studies receiving combined MHRA and REC approval did so within 60 days. The CHILL study screened its first participant 113 days after entering set-up, and Moderna’s Nova 301 study recruited 2,500 volunteers in nine weeks.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary committed to closing the translation gap for rare cancers. The BEATRIX study became reality within 150 days. The department aims for 95% of commercial trials to be set up within the 150 days goal.
Written by StreetOwl from Department of Health and Social Care’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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