Efficiencies mean our research into Motor Neurone Disease can go further than ever before. Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rapidly progressive and fatal disease characterised by selective motor neurone loss. Lifetime risk is estimated at 1 in 400. There is no cure and the sole licensed therapy (Riluzole) prolongs life by only 2-3 months. Given the failure of over 50 trials in 20 years for MND there is a need for innovation in both selection of putative neuroprotective interventions as well as clinical trial design to accelerate options for novel therapies for this devastating and fatal disease. Adaptive clinical trial design, pioneered in cancer medicine studies, allows protocols to be more strategic, flexible, cost-effective and efficient but are challenging to manage robustly. Two drugs emerged worthy of further study, and a commercial partner was required to ensure appropriate manufacturing and study process and method are used within rigorous controls, in a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial by manufacturing two drugs and a placebo over the 3 year study, a study which got ethical approvals. The clients understandably wished to award directly to a familiar company. After market research and open dialogue, it was concluded that we would obtain best value by an EU open competitive tender. This identified supplier Huddersfield Pharmacy Specials (HPS) who won the tender with an exceptional response and a 47.5% saving over the next best bid. This article was published on 2024-07-01
