Industry and academic researchers need faster and better ways of involving small, carefully defined, groups of patients in early, proof of concept studies of disease mechanisms or interventions which hold promise for the detection, prevention or treatment  of disease. In many diseases the natural history is not well characterised and better stratification of disease subtypes would make a major contribution to improving trial design and understanding the spectrum of responses to treatment.

Investing in better arrangements for these studies, targeted at research bottlenecks in areas of high disease burden and/ or un met clinical need, will help to speed up the translation of advances in biomedical research into benefits for patients and enhance international academic and commercial competitiveness of the UK.

To address this issue the Medical Research Council (MRC), the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the health research departments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have launched a joint initiative of more than £6m for setting up small carefully-phenotyped patient cohorts in areas of high disease burden and / or unmet clinical need. This three-year initiative, is successful, could pave the way for further, more substantial investment and networking in this area. Deadline for receipt of applications 7 February 2008