£50m investment from VPAG scheme to 'turbocharge' NHS clinical trials

Almost £50 million of funding from the Voluntary Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) scheme will be used to ‘turbocharge’ NHS clinical trials.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) said it had awarded £47.8 million from the investment programme to pay for equipment that will ‘increase the ability of the NHS to deliver high-quality commercial research’.

The award is funded the VPAG scheme – a partnership between the UK government and the pharmaceutical industry that limits how much the NHS can increase its spending on branded medicines.

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When spending exceeds this cap, pharmaceutical companies must pay rebates to the government – essentially returning excess revenues above the agreed threshold.

This new funding will provide ‘essential equipment’ to 52 NHS Trusts and 79 primary care organisations across England, the NIHR said.

The NIHR added that almost two thirds of this investment (60%) had been secured by primary care organisations to bring clinical trials directly to local communities, making it ‘easier for people from all backgrounds’ to take part in research.

The funded equipment will cover a range of items, including:

• Mobile research vans equipped for screening and diagnostics to increase patient recruitment and reduce geographic inequalities in locations including Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.
• Diagnostic infrastructure including fibroscanners, Accuvein scanners and ultrasound scanners to address imaging needs for trial set-up and delivery.
• Speciality pharmacy refurbishments to unblock challenges in responding to industry needs for commercial clinical trials, including in York and Scarborough, Sheffield and the North Midlands.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, health innovation and safety minister, said: ‘

‘For too long, access to innovative treatments has been unequal. By targeting primary care, we are changing that – giving patients everywhere the chance to benefit from the latest medical breakthroughs on their doorstep, regardless of where they live or their background.’

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Chief scientific advisor at the Department of Health and Social Care and chief executive officer of the NIHR, Professor Lucy Chappell, added: ‘With more than half of the funding this time going to primary care providers, the NIHR is once again showing its commitment to shifting research out of hospitals and into local communities, giving patients direct access to innovative treatments.’

Executive director of innovation and research policy at the ABPI, Dr Janet Valentine, stressed the importance of having the right equipment so that industry-sponsored trials can run ‘efficiently’.

‘Funding for research equipment in primary care will also expand the ability of GP practices and community providers to offer research opportunities closer to where people live,’ she said.

Last year, VPAG negotiations between the government and the pharmaceutical industry, represented by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), broke down due to an ‘unsustainable’ rise in rebate rates.

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However, the 2026 payment rates for new medicines under VPAG will be 14.5%, down from 22.9% in 2025.

The new UK-US trade agreement also includes a commitment to ensure that the VPAG payment rate does not exceed 15% for the next three years.