Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42493600›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2026

Oncology drug development in the UK: analysis of the past 25 years and focus on the 2026 reboot of the clinical trial regulatory framework.

Paulina Czajka-Francuz, Chris Twelves, James Spicer, Archana Munje, Laura Vidal, Ruth Plummer, Dinesh Mistry, Maksym Novikov, Jim Bush, Gopalakrishnan Srinivasan and 15 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

25 authors.

Paulina Czajka-FrancuzFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1486-5630
Chris TwelvesUniversity of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1849-7153
James SpicerKing's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3732-8491
Archana MunjeFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Laura VidalFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Ruth PlummerNewcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Northern Centre for Cancer Care, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0107-1444
Dinesh MistryFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Maksym NovikovFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Jim BushFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Gopalakrishnan SrinivasanEast Suffolk and North Essex National Health Service Foundation Trust, Ipswich, UK.
Soma DasFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Sharan SandhuExperimental Cancer Medicine Centre Programme Office, Cancer Research UK, London, UK.
Vikram BohraFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Chinmayee JoshiFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Ken MorrisonFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Suvarna ChavanFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Fiona ThistlethwaiteExperimental Cancer Medicine Team, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4832-7008
Andrew WaldingAstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
Glen ClackUniversity of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Michael GeorgeFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA.
Debashis SarkerKing's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4814-8429
Raghib AliClinical Epidemiologist, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Sarah P BlagdenUniversity of Oxford, Department of Oncology, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8783-3491
Thomas R Jeffry EvansSchool of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Kamal S SainiFortrea Inc., Durham, NC, USA. Kamal.Saini@nhs.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6301-3309

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe aim of the article was to analyse the trends in oncology interventional clinical trials in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2000 to 2025, compare with major global regions, and to assess the potential impact of the New UK Clinical Trials Regulation (UK CTR) 2026 regulatory reform on the future competitiveness.

designRetrospective observational analysis of interventional oncology trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with comparison across the UK, European Union (EU; comprising 27 member states), the United States, and the Republic of China (China).

main outcome measuresNumber of trials, phase distribution, funding source, and population-adjusted trial density across three time intervals (2000-2015, 2016-2020, 2021-2025).

resultsThe UK experienced growth in oncology trials until 2017, followed by declines associated with Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, and partial recovery thereafter. While the EU and USA maintained high absolute trial numbers, both showed declining population-adjusted research intensity over time. China demonstrated the fastest growth, with substantial increases in early phase trials and trial density.

conclusionsDespite recent challenges, the UK retains strong infrastructure and expertise in oncology research; the 2026 regulatory reform may support the future attractiveness of the UK, particularly for early phase trials, although increasing global competition remains a significant issue.

Identifiers

PMID42493600

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.