Betting on a comprehensive clinical research model

Clinical research is today one of the major drivers of innovation in health. However, for its results to have a real impact on society, it is necessary to move towards an integral model that covers the whole process: from the identification of unmet medical needs to their resolution in the laboratory and their effective transfer to the healthcare internship and the market.

"Only through real integration between clinic and research can we guarantee that advances reach the patient quickly and effectively," explains Xavier Tapias, director of the Office of knowledge and Technology Transfer(TRANSFER) at the University of Navarra.

A patient-centered model

The core topic of this approach is the joint and constant work between health professionals and researchers, who in the internship must work as a single multidisciplinary team. multidisciplinary. This integration makes it possible to formulate relevant clinical questions and direct research towards concrete and significant problems for the medical internship . "The boundary between clinicians and researchers is blurred in the most successful models. The patient is at the center, and that forces us to think not only about biomedical solutions, but also about their biopsychosocial and community context," Tapias emphasizes.

Cancer Centers and international networks

This approach is in line with international trends in Europe, where Comprehensive Cancer Centers are consolidating as reference letter Structures that integrate clinical attendance , translational research , technological innovation and training. The Cancer Center of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra is the first non-public hospital in Spain to be recognized with this distinction.

In addition, initiatives such as the Clinical Trial Networks and the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) facilitate international research , the exchange of knowledge and the conduct of multicenter clinical trials. Thanks to these platforms, scientific evidence is generated and applied in a more agile and coordinated way in different countries, favoring faster and more equal access to medical advances.

Transfer and partnership

In addition to clinical and research integration, it is essential to have effective channels for knowledge and technology transfer. To this end, in the words of Sandra Gómez, analyst at the Transfer Office, " partnership with companies, investors and patient associations play a decisive role in transforming research into tangible solutions".

An example of this is the alliance between the University of Navarra and the Botín Foundation to promote new advanced therapies against blood cancers. This agreement, which draws on the experience of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and Cima, seeks to accelerate the arrival of innovations such as CAR-T cell therapy for patients with leukemias, lymphomas and myeloma. One of the core topic projects is TranspoCart19, currently in the clinical essay phase, which represents how cutting-edge research can become a real alternative for those who have no other therapeutic options.

For TRANSFER, the adoption of an integral model of clinical research is not only a matter of academic excellence. It is also a strategic commitment to the sustainability of health systems and the competitiveness of countries. "Innovation in health is an engine of economic and social development , as well as a guarantee of better care for citizens", concludes Tapias, underlining the responsibility of universities and research centers in leading this change.

gradethis news is inspired by the opinion article "Por un model integral de research clínica", published by the Botín Foundation: read here