FutureMeds Expands UK Clinical Trial Site Network with New Site in North London

FutureMeds has expanded its UK network with the opening of a new clinical trial site in Brent, North London. The site was officially opened by Lord O’Shaughnessy, former Health Minister and author of the UK’s landmark review of commercial clinical trials. 

The UK has long been home to world-leading science, pioneering investigators, and highly respected regulators. As in many European countries, the clinical research landscape has been evolving, shaped by changing patient needs, increasing study complexity, and variation in how research is delivered across regions. These shifts have highlighted opportunities to broaden participation, accelerate site activation, and ensure more equitable access to trials.

At the same time, millions of people are diagnosed, monitored, and treated in primary care for the very conditions that clinical research aims to understand. Yet research activity has often taken place at a distance from the settings where most patients receive care, creating barriers to awareness and participation.

Against this backdrop, FutureMeds, in partnership with NHS GP Pathfinder Clinics, have opened a new dedicated clinical research site in Brent, one of London’s most diverse boroughs.  It represents a model increasingly recognised as essential to the UK’s ability to rebuild momentum in clinical trials: integrating research directly into primary care. 

“If we want a stronger clinical research system in the UK, models like this, rooted in primary care and delivered with urgency, show what’s possible.” 

— Lord James O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and senior partner at Newmarket Strategy 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lord James O’Shaughnessy, former Health Minister and author of the UK’s landmark review of commercial clinical trials, underscored the national relevance of the initiative. 

His remarks reflected a growing consensus: improving UK research performance requires not only regulatory reform, but also new delivery models that unlock earlier access, faster timelines and greater equity. 

Lord James O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and senior partner at Newmarket Strategy, delivering his opening speech

A research site designed around where patients actually receive care 

FutureMeds’ new site is located inside a mission-driven NHS GP practice serving a patient population of more than 100,000 people. This integration allows clinicians, research staff and patients to remove barriers that have historically kept clinical trials within specialist centres. 

By embedding research in a familiar, trusted environment, the model aims to: 

• speed up trial activation by reducing logistical and operational barriers 

• increase trial performance through consistent recruitment and patient engagement 

• widen access for populations historically underrepresented in research 

• reflect real-world diversity, strengthening data quality and applicability 
  

For a community managing high rates of chronic conditions and significant health inequality, the implications are substantial. 

Dr Radoslaw Janiak, CEO at FutureMeds, addressing the audience of Sponsors, CROs, Partners and colleagues

“We are opening a site where patients feel safe and supported, where they can be treated within the practice they trust. It’s connecting research and patients. It’s connecting modern treatments with the needs of the community.” 

— Dr Radoslaw Janiak, CEO at FutureMeds 

FutureMeds CEO Dr Radosław Janiak described the opening as a direct response to the needs of both patients and the healthcare system. 

He emphasised that while the site adds capacity to the UK’s research infrastructure, its purpose is fundamentally human, enabling earlier access to innovative therapies and improving patient experience. 

Addressing the gap in access 

From the perspective of primary care, the site represents an opportunity to close the gap. GP Pathfinder Clinics managing partner Dr Muhammed Ali highlighted the challenge faced by his community: 

“We spent years getting our patients to the front of the NHS queue. The tragedy is how many aren’t even in the queue for research. We want patients who have traditionally been left out to finally be included. Research will make a material difference to their lives.” 

—  Dr Muhammed Ali, Managing Partner at GP Pathfinder Clinics 

In Brent, where life expectancy varies sharply within a few tube stops and chronic conditions disproportionately affect certain groups, access to clinical trials can directly influence long-term outcomes. 

Dr Muhammed Ali, Managing Partner at GP Pathfinder Clinics, discribing the realities and opportunities in Brent

A model validated by early sponsor engagement 

FutureMeds UK Managing Director John Allen noted that industry partners began selecting the site for upcoming trials before it had even opened. 

“What began as a conversation is now a working model, one chosen by sponsors before the paint even dried. Places like this make a real difference in people’s lives. And this site reflects everything we stand for: accessibility, partnership, and the ambition to make a real difference.” 

—  John Allen, Managing Director, FutureMeds UK 

The new London site is currently running three trials and will be supporting seven by January. Early adoption reflects both the need for high-performing sites in London and the relevance of primary-care-integrated research to complex, diverse patient cohorts. 

John Allen, Managing Director at FutureMeds UK, sharing the journey with the guests

Toward a more inclusive, responsive UK research system 

Policymakers, sponsors and research organisations increasingly agree that the future of UK clinical trials will depend on delivering studies where patients already seek care, within the communities. Primary care integration, especially in underserved communities, is central to that vision. 

As Lord O’Shaughnessy stated, improving UK research performance will require more than policy statements. “Imagine trials activating, recruiting within days and weeks, not months and years... This partnership is a turning point, a blueprint for what the UK could achieve.” 

The FutureMeds site exemplifies how such models can be put into practice: grounded in community partnership, supported by national expertise, and designed around what patients need most. 

FutureMeds and GP Pathfinder Clinics will now focus on activating studies across multiple therapeutic areas, engaging local stakeholders, and gathering the evidence needed to inform broader system transformation. 

About GP Pathfinder Clinics  

GP Pathfinder Clinics is a trailblazing NHS organisation revolutionising primary care in North-West London. We serve over 100,000 patients across five sites and are one of England's largest single-list primary care practices.  

‍GP Pathfinder Clinics’ clinically-led approach seamlessly integrates cutting-edge technology with medical expertise, delivering exceptional, patient-centred healthcare. We are at the forefront of digital health innovation, constantly exploring new ways to enhance care quality, improve health outcomes, and transform the patient experience. By leveraging technology to streamline processes and increase accessibility, we are setting new standards for efficiency and personalised care in NHS primary care delivery, actively shaping the future of healthcare.