On the occasion of World Clinical Trials Day, celebrated on May 20, the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB) are organizing an open day to publicize the Research Support Unit (USRC). The meeting will be attended by professionals from the pharmaceutical field, patient associations, as well as researchers, to discover first-hand the USRC’s methodological proposal for the promotion of clinical trials that are key to innovation in health.

Clinical trials are a strategic pillar of research: they facilitate patients’ access to innovative therapies, and they can also be key in the development of treatments and medical devices that improve the quality of life of the population. In addition, they allow the generation of valuable scientific knowledge and position the public health system as a competitive and attractive environment for research. “Clinical trials allow many people to access innovative therapies sooner that can change the course of their disease,” insists Paulina Cerdà, leader of the USRC. “This direct impact on the lives of patients is the engine that drives our unit to continue strengthening the quality and efficiency of the studies carried out on the Campus,” she adds.

At the Bellvitge Health Campus, clinical trials are carried out in a highly specialised ecosystem, with the participation of teams from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Catalan Institute of Oncology. The USRC of the HUB leads trials in 16 medical specialties, with 85 clinical studies and active trials and about 760 patients recruited annually; the Clinical Research Unit (UIC) of the Catalan Institute of Oncology is specialized in cancer trials, with 594 active studies and more than 1,000 patients per year; and the UICEC of IDIBELL supports non-commercial research with 40 trials underway. Overall, this environment allows more than 700 active clinical trials to be reached, positioning Bellvitge as one of the main clinical research centers in the country.

The USRC: a comprehensive proposal to promote highly complex clinical trials

The Research Support Unit (USRC), integrated into IDIBELL and Bellvitge Hospital, offers a centralised model with a comprehensive vision that accompanies clinical trials throughout their life cycle, from conception to closure.

This model is based on close coordination between principal investigators and a specialised multidisciplinary team, which provides methodological, operational and managerial expertise, ensuring alignment between all the actors involved and ensuring the quality, feasibility and efficiency of the studies.

The USRC is organized into two large areas that cover the entire process: a phase that includes feasibility assessment, regulatory processing and contract negotiation, and an execution phase, which ensures the coordination of the study, patient monitoring, data management and support in audits and inspections.

Thanks to this comprehensive approach, and with the support of a team of professionals specialized in clinical research, the unit can manage multiple studies simultaneously with high quality standards. The USRC thus offers industry and researchers a turnkey service, with outstanding indicators such as an activation time of less than 120 days and a recruitment rate of more than 85%, which positions it as a strategic partner in the development of clinical trials.

In addition, its integration within the Bellvitge Health Campus facilitates access to patients, collaboration with clinical services and the management of complex studies in various specialties, reinforcing a highly coordinated and competitive research ecosystem.

Catalonia, a leading territory in clinical trials

The dynamism of the Bellvitge Health Campus is part of Catalonia’s leadership in the field of clinical trials. In this context, IDIBELL stands out as one of the leading centres, ranking fourth in Catalonia in revenue from clinical trials, with nearly 60 million euros between 2021 and 2024.

This positioning reflects the strength of an ecosystem that integrates hospitals, research centres and industry, and which allows attracting high value-added projects. The combination of clinical expertise, research capacity and specialised infrastructures consolidates Catalonia as a hub of innovation in clinical research at a national and international level.

With this initiative, IDIBELL and Bellvitge Hospital reaffirm their commitment to clinical research, innovation and knowledge transfer, bringing clinical trials closer to society and strengthening collaboration with professionals and industry.

About IDIBELL

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a research centre created in 2004 and specialising in cancer, neuroscience, translational medicine and regenerative medicine. It has a team of more than 1,500 professionals who, from 73 research groups, publish more than 1,400 scientific articles a year. L’IDIBELL is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Health Institute, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

IDIBELL is a member of the Campus d’Excelencia Internacional of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centres accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the HR Excellence in Research program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Centre of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).

About Bellvitge University Hospital

Bellvitge Hospital is a public, university, research and innovative hospital. With more than 5,200 expert and committed professionals, it is the local hospital for the citizens of L’Hospitalet and El Prat de Llobregat and a reference centre of maximum complexity for 2 million people, the entire southern axis of Catalonia. It is the Catalan health centre that performs the most complex surgery, especially oncological surgery, and is part of the Bellvitge Health Campus, recognised by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Centre for its excellence in cancer care, research and teaching. It integrates in the projects the orientation to improve the patient experience and networking with primary care and the surrounding hospitals. Oriented towards personalised medicine, it has the best genetic diagnosis and imaging tools for cancer and rare diseases, which are complemented by the High Precision Diagnostic Centre, which has the first PET/Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the healthcare network in Spain. It registers about 26,000 major surgery interventions annually; 39,000 discharges; 400,000 outpatient visits and about 100,000 diagnostic tests.