The Prime Minister and the President of MRA handed over a cheque for the creation of the Silesian Clinical Research Support Centre to the SUM Rector
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the President of the Medical Research Agency Radosław Sierpiński handed over a symbolic cheque for the amount of PLN 9,322,552. 18 to the Rector of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice for the creation of the Silesian Clinical Research Support Centre as part of the ABM competition for the creation and development of Clinical Research Support Centres.
The initiative to establish specialized Clinical Research Support Centres resources in our country is aimed at increasing the number of both clinical trials and their participants in Poland, as well as utilizing the potential of the clinical research sector to increase the competitiveness of the national economy.
To date, the Medical Research Agency has provided 152 million for this purpose, which has enabled the establishment of 16 specialized centers located throughout the country. This is the first such comprehensive support for Polish public institutions conducting clinical trials.
Establishment of the Clinical Research Support Centre at the Medical University of Silesia will allow integration of teams working at the hospital and the university, giving a completely new quality to the conducted research, using the potential, so far dispersed in many places. The creation of a specialised unit employing people with the highest qualifications will result in an increase in the number of studies carried out and designed. The new organizational structure will put in order the process of organization of the research, the course of the patient's stay in the center and the evaluation of the scientists' ideas - emphasized the Rector of Medical University of Silesia - prof. dr hab. n. med. Tomasz Szczepański.
Within the Silesian Clinical Trials Support Centre, an early phase research centre will be opened with dedicated infrastructure and medical facilities. In order to ensure the highest scientific value, the research projects submitted to the MPC will be reviewed by an Expert Committee, in terms of feasibility, merit and expected impact on the health care system.
The Polish Clinical Trials Network, launched by the Medical Research Agency in March this year, is a continuation for the development of the established centres. The establishment of the Network will contribute to the creation of an internationally recognized brand as a strong center for clinical research in the country.
This is a breakthrough moment for Poland as an international partner in clinical research, which will allow many centres to operate under one common brand. The network will help us improve access to treatment for patients with the world's most innovative medicines, but it will also have a significant impact on the development of Polish biotechnology," stressed President of the Medical Research Agency Radosław Sierpiński.
The creation of the Polish Clinical Trials Network also has a significant impact on the national economy through the outflows from the execution of clinical trials to the state budget, alternative savings for the healthcare system, an additional source of remuneration for researchers, physicians and research centres and an increase in employment and demand for services in other sectors.