Government figures released on 21 October 2026 put the average set-up time for commercial clinical trials in the UK at 100 days in the three months to March 2026, down from 153 days in the same period a year earlier. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, all 24 commercial trials in that window were set up within 150 days, above the Life Sciences Sector Plan goal that at least 95% meet that limit.

Separate data showed that 100% of studies receiving combined MHRA and research ethics committee approval in September 2026 did so within 60 days. The release cited the BEATRIX study, which it said began in under 150 days, and Moderna's Nova 301 study, which recruited 2,500 volunteers in nine weeks.

Health Innovation Minister James Frith said meeting the target meant more patients would get care sooner. ABPI chief executive Richard Torbett welcomed the set-up gains but said they must be replicated across every subsequent site and translate into more patients taking part.