NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility

What NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility does

The NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility (NIHR CRF: Leeds) is a publicly-funded clinical research facility hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in collaboration with the University of Leeds, established in 2006. It operates five integrated CRF sites — St James's University Hospital CRF, Leeds General Infirmary CRF, Leeds Children's Hospital CRF, the Dental Translational and Clinical Research Unit (DenTCRU), and Chapel Allerton CRF — providing 38 treatment beds/chairs and 10 outpatient rooms for early-phase and experimental clinical trials across cardiovascular, oncology/haematology, musculoskeletal, oral/dental, and paediatric disease areas. The facility runs over 100 early-stage, experimental, or complex clinical trials at any one time and is part of a £40 million NIHR infrastructure that also includes the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Leeds and the NIHR Healthtech Research Centre: Leeds, underpinned by the NIHR@Leeds Forum and integrated within Health Innovation Leeds.

Its core technology comprises state-of-the-art imaging (MRI, CT, ultrasound, echocardiography), a specialist physiology suite, radiotherapy, pathology, and access to University of Leeds next-generation sequencing and sample processing/storage capabilities. Distinctive capabilities include ATMP delivery (CAR-T cell therapies, gene therapies, oncolytic virus research), the £1.7m DenTCRU digital dentistry facility with 3D printing and first-in-man self-assembling peptide trials, and a multidisciplinary Combined Heart Failure and Device Clinic. The facility also hosts the national NIHR Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Research Delivery Network.

Revenue is generated through a mix of NIHR core funding, research council grants (notably MRC), industry-sponsored clinical trial contracts with pharmaceutical and medical device companies (Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, GSK, Moderna, MSD, BioNTech), and charitable funding from organisations including the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Yorkshire Cancer Research, Leeds Hospitals Charity, Duchenne UK, and the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. Patients are not charged; trial costs are covered by sponsors and the facility is funded on a cost-recovery basis as part of the UK NHS. Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust recruited 17,438 patients into NIHR portfolio clinical trials in 2019-20 (6th nationally) and serves a regional/supra-regional population of approximately 5.4 million people.

Name

NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility

Legal name

NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility

Website

https://leedscrf.nihr.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility is a publicly-funded UK NHS clinical research facility, hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, operating five integrated sites delivering over 100 early-phase clinical trials annually across cardiovascular, oncology, haematology, musculoskeletal, oral/dental, and paediatric disease areas for pharmaceutical industry, charity, and research council sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAGAA), Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Early phase clinical trials
• Experimental medicine research
• Clinical trial infrastructure
• Translational research services
• Patient recruitment trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. NIHR Core Funding: Core funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) supports trial delivery across all NIHR CRF Leeds sites. This is the primary funding stream for the facility's operations.
2. Industry Clinical Trials: The CRF works with pharmaceutical and medical device companies (both large and small) including Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, and others to run commercial clinical trials. Between 30-40% of cardiovascular trials are run in collaboration with industry partners.
3. Research Council Grants: Funding from research councils including the Medical Research Council (MRC) for clinical trials and experimental medicine studies.
4. Charitable Funding: Support from medical charities including the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Cancer Research UK, Yorkshire Cancer Research, Oral and Dental Research Trust, Dunhill Medical Trust, and Leeds Hospitals Charity. Also partnership with Duchenne UK funding neuromuscular research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility is a publicly funded NHS clinical research facility that delivers early-phase and experimental clinical trials across five integrated hospital sites in Leeds. It operates 38 treatment beds/chairs and 10 outpatient rooms, offering infrastructure, specialist clinical staff, imaging equipment, and laboratory services for trials of novel drugs, cell-based and viral therapies, medical devices, and surgical techniques. Core operations are funded by NIHR, with additional revenue from industry sponsors, research councils (MRC), and medical charities.

Product overview

The NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility is a clinical research organization providing a unified platform of early-phase and experimental clinical trial infrastructure across five integrated sites within Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The portfolio comprises St James's CRF, Leeds General Infirmary CRF, Leeds Children's Hospital CRF, DenTCRU (Dental Translational and Clinical Research Unit), Chapel Allerton CRF, the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service, and a Biobank. Together these sites provide 38 treatment beds/chairs and 10 outpatient rooms, offering capabilities across cardiovascular, haematology, musculoskeletal, oncology, oral/dental, and paediatric research specialisms. Core funding from the NIHR supports trial delivery, while the facility also collaborates with industry, research councils, and charities to run over 100 early-stage experimental or complex clinical trials at any one time.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Phase Clinical Trial Delivery
• St James's University Hospital CRF (SJUH CRF)
• Leeds General Infirmary CRF (LGI CRF)
• Leeds Children's Hospital CRF (LCH CRF)
• Dental Translational and Clinical Research Unit (DenTCRU)
• Chapel Allerton Hospital CRF (CAH CRF)
• Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS)
• CRF Biobank
• Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) Trials
• Digital Dentistry and 3D Printing Research
• Industry Partnership Clinical Trial Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,438 patients recruited into NIHR portfolio clinical trials in 2019-20 (6th nationally)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Duchenne UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Charity partnership funding two new roles within the Neuromuscular Service with more than £300,000 contribution over five years to support paediatric neuromuscular research and clinical trials.
• Leeds Hospitals CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership providing more than £300,000 combined with Duchenne UK to fund neuromuscular research. Also funded new cardiac ultrasound scanner (£100,000+), supporting exhibition of early career researchers, and facial prosthesis research.
• BioNTechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with NHS England for mRNA-based cancer vaccines through the Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP). Leeds CRF supports AHEAD-MERIT trial for HPV-16 associated head and neck cancers.
• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIHR provides core funding supporting trial delivery across all NIHR CRF Leeds sites. The facility is part of NIHR's national infrastructure for clinical research delivery. Leeds hosts the national NIHR Research Delivery Network Coordinating Centre (RDNCC) and the regional Yorkshire and Humber Regional Research Delivery Network.
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NIHR Leeds CRF is hosted by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The CRF is embedded within the NHS trust with five sites across hospital facilities providing access to clinical services, imaging, pathology, and radiotherapy.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CRF is hosted in collaboration with the University of Leeds. Over 80% of collaborations between the Trust and University are rated 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent'. The University is top 10 UK in research power (REF 2014) and top 100 world-ranked (QS).
• Wellcome TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellcome Trust co-funded the £1.7 million Dental Translational and Clinical Research Unit (DenTCRU), enabling oral and dental clinical trials including first-in-man trials on self-assembling peptides.
• Medical Research Council (MRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRC provides funding for clinical trials and experimental medicine studies conducted at the CRF alongside NIHR funding.
• British Heart Foundation (BHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical charity providing funding for cardiovascular research and clinical trials conducted at the CRF.
• GSKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiopharma company providing £2.6 million funding for the FOxTROT 5 immunotherapy trial focusing on older colon cancer patients with dMMR colon cancer.
• Yorkshire Cancer ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cancer charity funding the FOxTROT Trial Platform including FOxTROT 2, 3, and 4 trials for colon cancer patients.
• Natasha Allergy Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity funding the £2.7 million Natasha Clinical Trial across nine NHS hospitals testing oral immunotherapy treatment (OIT) for peanut and cow's milk allergies in children as young as two.
• Oral and Dental Research TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting oral and dental health research conducted at the DenTCRU CRF.
• Dunhill Medical TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting research within the oral and dental health portfolio at DenTCRU CRF.
• University of GlasgowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on the FOxTROT 5 trial programme for colon cancer research.
• University of BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on the FOxTROT trial platform including FOxTROT 1 and 5 programmes.
• University of OxfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Oxford Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit coordinated the ALABAMA trial on penicillin allergy testing supported by NIHR Leeds CRF.
• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS partner trust in London collaborating on the IMPRESSeD study comparing conventional and digital methods of facial prosthesis manufacturing.
• ModernacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiotechnology company partnered with Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) to develop personalised mRNA melanoma cancer vaccine trial recruiting at NIHR Leeds CRF.
• Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company partnered with Moderna to develop personalised mRNA melanoma cancer vaccine trial at NIHR Leeds CRF.
• Health Innovation LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Health Innovation Leeds ecosystem, one of the UK's most interconnected ecosystems for health and care research and innovation, independently ranked as a top UK health innovation hub.
• NIHR Biomedical Research Centre LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three centres of excellence in Leeds' £40 million NIHR infrastructure. Underpinned by NIHR@Leeds Forum bringing together academic researchers, clinicians and industry innovators.
• NIHR Healthtech Research Centre LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three centres of excellence in Leeds' £40 million NIHR infrastructure focused on healthtech innovation.
• NIHR BioResource Centre LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, conducts research to improve outcomes for people with range of diseases. Recruits volunteers with and without health conditions for studies on rare and common diseases.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• NIHR UCL Clinical Research Facility: NIHR CRF at University College London Hospitals, providing early-phase clinical trial infrastructure with strong academic-University partnership. Direct peer offering comparable services in a London-based academic medical centre setting.
• NIHR Birmingham Clinical Research Facility: NIHR CRF hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham, providing early-phase trial infrastructure. Direct peer in the same NIHR network with similar NHS embedded model and multi-disease portfolio across cardiovascular, cancer, and inflammation.
• NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility: NIHR CRF at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, providing early-phase trial infrastructure in a regional academic medical centre. Direct peer in Yorkshire/Humber region with potential overlap in patient catchment and similar disease area portfolio.
• NIHR Manchester Clinical Research Facility: Part of the same NIHR CRF network, hosted by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, providing early-phase clinical trial infrastructure across multiple disease areas. Most directly comparable peer as both operate under identical NIHR funding models with similar 5-site distributed models.
• NIHR Oxford Clinical Research Facility: NIHR CRF at Oxford University Hospitals, providing early-phase clinical trial capabilities with a focus on experimental medicine. Direct peer with similar academic-medical centre partnership model and comparable industry partnership structures.
• NIHR Cambridge Clinical Research Facility: NIHR CRF at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, providing early-phase and experimental medicine clinical trial infrastructure. Direct peer with comparable NIHR funding, embedded NHS host trust model, and similar multi-specialty portfolio.
• NIHR Healthtech Research Centre Leeds: Third NIHR centre of excellence within Leeds's £40M infrastructure, focused on healthtech innovation including surgical devices. Shares the same NIHR@Leeds Forum and host institution, providing adjacent early-phase device and healthtech trial capabilities.
• NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Leeds: Sister NIHR centre of excellence co-located within the same £40M Leeds NIHR infrastructure. While focused on translational research rather than clinical trial delivery, it shares funding sources, host institution, and research leadership with the Leeds CRF.

Broad incumbents

• The Christie NHS Foundation Trust: UK's largest single-site cancer centre and NHS Foundation Trust, operating as a leading early-phase oncology trial site. Comparable as a major UK NHS hospital with substantial clinical research infrastructure, though not part of the NIHR CRF network specifically.
• University College London (UCL): Top-10 UK research university collaborating with UCLH CRF, providing academic and laboratory infrastructure for early-phase clinical research. Comparable as an academic-medical centre partnership model with substantial biomedical research power.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nihr-leeds-clinical-research-facility

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NIHR Leeds Clinical Research Facility