Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support research into Adrenal cancer through (a) funding, (b) clinical trials and (c) collaboration with academic institutions.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer as one of the largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. The NIHR funds research and research infrastructure, which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research.

The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into adrenal cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

The NIHR also welcomes applications for training awards from the clinical and non-clinical academic workforce conducting research into any aspect of human health, including adrenal cancer. The Department is the United Kingdom’s largest funder of clinical academic training, working with academic institutions and the wider health and care system to deliver a comprehensive research career pathway for the full range of clinicians.

The Department is committed to working with delivery partners, including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, and other key stakeholders, to achieve the common aim of creating a faster, more efficient, more accessible, and more innovative clinical research delivery system. We expect these efforts to attract more commercial investment in clinical research and yield a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical trials in the UK, so that we can provide innovative treatment options for patients, including those with adrenal cancer.