A summary of activities to date and the Medical Research Agency's plans for 2023.
Since its establishment in 2019, the Medical Research Agency (MRA) has managed to launch 15 calls supporting the clinical research market, with 186 agreements signed with beneficiaries. Nearly PLN 2 billion provided for the implementation of projects, will allow the inclusion of about 50,000 patients for clinical trials. Throughout the country, 800 medical entities will conduct clinical trials financed by Medical Research Agency funds.
In its activities, the Medical Research Agency focuses on implementing research in areas requiring special support. These include projects in psychiatry, rare diseases, or diseases of civilization. Currently, the calls implemented by the Medical Research Agency have covered 16 medical fields with funding.
With a view to the highest quality, pursuit of European standards and safety, as well as infrastructural development, the Medical Research Agency strives to support the work of clinical centers and their staff. Currently, thanks to three calls dedicated to the establishment of specialized Clinical Research Support Centers, it has been possible to establish 23 units affiliated with the Polish Clinical Research Network, located throughout the country. Currently, 14 of them are open to patients. The others will be launched in 2023.
The last two years have been particularly difficult due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic or the ongoing war in Ukraine. The health sector is currently facing many challenges, also related to the aging population, as well as the development of multi-disease in our country. The answer to this condition is investment in new technologies and the development of new research projects also striving to ensure drug safety. In this regard, the use of artificial intelligence, antibiotic resistance, ensuring drug safety or the creation of Digital Medicine Centers within the Polish Clinical Research Network were among the areas of particular interest to the Medical Research Agency in 2023.