Average set-up time for commercial clinical trials in the UK has already reduced, signifying the government is on track to meet targets. Credit: DesignRage/Shutterstock.com.

Faced with growing competition in the global clinical trials landscape, many countries are reforming regulatory frameworks in a bid to accelerate drug and medtech research.

The UK is one of those on a mission to raise the profile of its life sciences industry. Its government has initiated a large-scale reform of clinical trials, designed to accelerate approvals for studies and reduce set-up times. One of these reforms is the 150-day study set-up directive.

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In the latest GlobalData Healthcare podcast, Joanna Calvert, senior programme manager at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) discusses this benchmark and how it can help attract global commercial sponsors.

Calvert was interviewed by pharmaceutical editor Robert Barrie at the Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Europe 2026 Conference, held in Barcelona on 6 and 7 May.

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