Octopus is a new clinical trial for people living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), which is designed and run by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL. Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, Octopus has the potential to transform the way treatments for progressive MS are tested. The trial is now open in the UK and will be recruiting participants for the next few years. The podcast mini-series will explore the trial from different perspectives by talking to neurologists, MS experts and people affected by MS. In the final part, we explore the role of people affected by MS in the Octopus trial. Susan Scott, a pharmaceutical publications specialist and Octopus patient representative, shares her involvement in the trial and explains how PPI has benefited Octopus so far.

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11/8/2023

Running a clinical trial means collecting a lot of data from the trial participants. But some of this data might be collected and stored in healthcare systems, as well as in clinical trial case report forms. What if we could avoid this doubling up, save time and resources, improve recruitment and reduce missing data? In this episode we explore the opportunities and challenges of using healthcare systems data in clinical trials, with Dr Macey Murray and Professor Matt Sydes. Resources: British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre webinar (Macey Murray) - www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzQeMUUG7tQ How to get your own crocheted duck - twitter.com/drmakerbaker/status…22224971419665?s=20 For more questions or feedback on the series, contact us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk For more information and access to the transcript of this episode: bit.ly/3NKtKjs

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6/26/2023

In this first episode, we talk to Dr Ajay Aggarwal about an exciting new study to evaluate if artificial intelligence (AI) can transform the way we plan radiotherapy in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The study is called the ARCHERY (short for “Artificial Intelligence based radiotherapy treatment planning for Cervical, Head and Neck and Prostate cancer”). Ajay explains how this study could improve global access to radiotherapy by automatising parts of radiotherapy treatment planning using AI. He also highlights the importance of evaluating the implementation and cost-effectiveness of this AI approach, as well as its plan to build capacity in LMIC.

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11/8/2022