October Clinical Research Facility Galway secures €3 million funding

Clinical Research Facility Galway secures €3 million funding

Health Research Board announces investment in world class research at NUI Galway-Saolta University Health Care Group

Some €3million funding has been announced for the Clinical Research Facility Galway - a Health Research Board (HRB) centre supporting clinical trials to improve health and care.
The investment is part of a €22million fund from the HRB for clinical research facilities located at hospital sites and supported by universities.
The Clinical Research Facility Galway is a joint initiative of NUI Galway and Saolta University Health Care Group for the promotion of clinical research and conduct of clinical trials, bringing together clinicians, researchers and academics to focus on studies aimed at understanding diseases and translating the knowledge gained into advances in patient care.

Professor Andrew Smyth, Director of the HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway and Consultant Nephrologist at Galway University Hospitals, said: “The HRB-CFRG aims to improve patient care and population health through the delivery of clinical trials by providing the necessary infrastructure, physical space, facilities, expertise, specialist training and culture.

“This infrastructure funding support from the HRB puts us on the map globally in terms of the ability to manage and execute all stages of clinical trials from conception to conclusion. 

“At the HRB Clinical Research Facility Galway we have the end-to-end services to guide breakthrough research including first-in-human trials, medical technology/devices, pharmaceuticals, cancer trials and much more. Our portfolio is one of the most diverse nationally, and we have both the clinical expertise and clinical trial experience to grow our own trials from the ground up.

“The HRB infrastructure funding makes this possible and is essential for growth and expansion of our clinical trials.”

The overall HRB funding package will keep Ireland at the forefront of clinical research and trials internationally while also increasing opportunities for patient participation and benefit.

The Clinical Research Facility Galway currently supports 107 clinical trials and investigations.

It is one of few facilities of its kind in Ireland, providing the full suite of services essential for the conduct of clinical trials of all phases (from early, first-in-human trials to final stages of approval) and the new investment will allow for the expansion and growth of this work.
Professor Tim O’Brien, Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science at NUI Galway and Consultant at Saolta University Health Care Group, said “This funding provides world class facilities for clinical trials and it means that Galway is a leading entity within the Irish clinical trial Infrastructure. It maximises access to clinical trials for patients in the west of Ireland by ensuring the local availability of all necessary services, right on our doorstep. We greatly appreciate the support of the HRB from the initial construction of the facility all the way through to the current award.
“Furthermore, the ecosystem in Galway means that clinicians, industry leaders and clinical research experts nationally and internationally come together to formulate cutting-edge research.”
Professor Fidelma Dunne, Associate Director of the HRB-CRFG and Consultant Endocrinologist with Saolta University Health Care Group, said: “With the support of the HRB we have been able to take trials from seed stage, through discovery and design through to all stages of trial execution. In the case of my research on gestational diabetes, this support allowed me to conceptualise and trial innovative therapies for women with this condition, as all of the necessary supports were available in Galway.”

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