A clinical trial for a “new obesity and type 2 diabetes medicine” will be conducted at Boots stores across England, the pharmacy chain announced last week.
It said it has partnered with Civia Health to set up clinical research sites at four of its stores - Nottingham, Brighton, Peterborough and Birmingham - and connect communities to “local research opportunities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions”.
It is the first time “dedicated clinical research units” have been set up in high street pharmacies, it added, which will enable people to “participate in locations that are easy to reach and that they know and trust”.
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Boots revealed that the first study to be conducted by Civia Health at its stores is a Phase 3 trial “focused on a new obesity and type 2 diabetes medicine”.
It said customers at Boots stores will have the opportunity to join Civia Health’s longitudinal health registry Thrive and access free health screenings.
“These screenings - including measurements such as height, weight, blood pressure and blood tests - are intended to help individuals better understand and improve their health and identify research studies for which they may be eligible,” it added.
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And it said Civia will “deploy its clinical teams, technology and operational standards” to the participating Boots stores “to screen and enroll participants, bringing real research capability to the high street” and “providing convenient and accessible locations for participants to attend their study appointments”.
“As part of the partnership, Boots will also provide details of research opportunities with its customers to support recruitment,” it added.
Bringing research closer
Civia Health CEO Mark Campbell said that “for too long, clinical research sites have been in out-of-town and hard-to-find locations that can feel unfamiliar”, and the company “[wants] to change that”.
He added that Boots “has been part of community healthcare for generations” and the partnership with the chain “broadens who gets to participate” in clinical research.
“Instead of relying on the small number of people who actively seek out studies, we’re bringing research to a broader, more diverse group - people who might benefit but would never have found us otherwise,” he said.
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Boots director of healthcare development Marc Donovan said Boots “has a long history of supporting clinical research” and the partnership with Civia Health “is an important milestone in this journey”.
“Clinical research plays a vital role in the development of new treatments and therapies, and we are proud to support increased clinical research participation to drive better health outcomes for all,” he added.
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It comes after Boots announced last week that it has launched a new adult earache service which will be available in “over 145 stores” across the UK.
And it follows the health and beauty giant introducing “wellness zones” to some of its stores, as well as new wellness training that has been rolled out to all healthcare employees “including the pharmacy team”.
