Information for Sponsors

The Trials Accelerator provides the infrastructure to support Sponsors with delivery of commercial and academic CF clinical trials in the UK, along with the platform to enable the CF community to gain access to these trials. Our national team of Trial Coordinators based at our participating centres act as a single point of contact to support Sponsors with feasibility, set-up and delivery of high-priority CF clinical trials.

Our Patient Identification Centre (PIC) leaflet provides an overview of what a PIC can and can't do, the process and the impact.

Download the PIC leaflet (284KB)

Commercial ‘Involvement’

‘Patient & Public Involvement’ (PPI) is regarded as a highly important component of the UK regulatory process, with the UK Health Research Authority (HRA) strongly encouraging all Sponsors to engage with PPI during trial design. It is now widely acknowledged that the inclusion of PPI at all stages of the trials process leads to better recruitment and retention rates.

PPI should be an active and collaborative opportunity for Sponsors and the CF community that allows the community to act as advisers and partners. The Trials Accelerator has an established group of CF representatives (people with CF, and parents of children with CF) ready to share their lived experience to support Sponsors with trial design and delivery.

This PPI group can benefit Sponsors by offering:

• Access to an engaged and diverse representation of the CF community
• Focus group discussions via remote technology
• One-to-one interviews to access a specific knowledge base
• Protocol reviews by trained CF representatives
• Review of design and content of Patient Information Sheets and Consent Forms
• Lay trial summaries and lay result summaries

Maximum benefit can be achieved by initiating PPI at the earliest possible stage, but it does not exclude involving CF representatives in the latter stages of trials even when there has been no PPI previously.

Our Commercial Involvement (Public & Patient Involvement) leaflet outlines how Commercial Involvement can benefit Sponsors and detail on how to involve the community.

Download the PPI leaflet (594KB)

Please review the Trials Accelerator Sponsors Brochure or contact the Trials Accelerator Involvement Manager (involvement@cysticfibrosis.org.uk) to find out how we can help or discuss your PPI requirements.