Case study 3 2022-2023
Pandemic preparedness: leading change in response to the threat of emerging infections
Summary
Purposeful collaboration across health and care is fundamentally important. The Pandemic Preparedness case relates particularly to the following desired long-term impacts set out in the logic model for Academic Health Science Centres:
Improved healthcare delivery and services through better connected infrastructure
Strengthened innovation pipeline linking research and healthcare
This case study, first presented to accompany the NIHR Oxford AHSC annual report to March 2021, will form the basis of a record of collaboration across Oxford Academic Health Partners (OAHP) over the course of the designation to 2025. The case is relevant to DHSC priorities, policy making and delivery of the Life Sciences Vision and is applicable, directly or indirectly, to almost half the categories listed in the guidance.
Embedding research in the NHS to ensure its recovery and develop and sustain workforce capacity relies on implementation of knowledge and system change. By tracking progress in a wider context and across several years we will demonstrate progress to overcome disruption, and improvements to establish and sustain readiness for future outbreaks and new infections.
Pathways to impact
Oxford’s collective contributions to research, as demonstrated through the analysis and results from the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF) were outstanding. Fifty-five impact case studies were considered by the Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Panel. Additional impact relating to the wider determinants of health were also reported.
NIHR invited AHSCs to signal examples of utility for the NHS. Seven separate REF cases pertinent to pandemic disease are listed here with links to the full reference and details.
Crisis Monitoring and Management
Controlling the COVID-19 pandemic with mobile phone contact tracing
COVID-19 testing to understand and control transmission
Pathogen whole genome sequencing transforms healthcare associated infection and outbreak management
Immunisation and Protection
Better protection against influenza through national childhood vaccination programmes
Novel Developments for Disease Prevention
Oxitec: pest and pathogen control with genetic modification technologies
Oxford Academic Health Partners’ collective capability in research, prevention, and treatment of epidemic infectious diseases will be important in the delivery of the Life Sciences Vision. Lessons learnt from COVID-19 informed the rapid set up of the Pandemic Sciences Institute which will accelerate our understanding of vaccines and digital disease control and drive development of new diagnostics, treatments
Prof Keith Channon, Director, Oxford Academic Health Partners
Oxford’s strengths and leadership in this space are well recognised. Future plans will be aligned with the missions set out in the Life Sciences Vision. OAHP’s role in supporting innovation and driving the necessary collaboration between the science research base and the NHS continue to be central to the COVID-19 response . The Astra/Zeneca vaccine and boosters are proven as safe and effective. Two billion doses had been supplied globally by November 2021.
Platform Trials
Three national trials were established through OAHP. Results from these have been critically important during the current pandemic; ensuring the newest and most effective treatments are rapidly deployed for patient benefit. The infrastructure for recruitment, intervention delivery and outcome assessment will remain in place rather than being dismantled – a critical advantage for preparedness.
RECOVERY – Randomised evaluation of COVID-19 therapy trial completed 2 years of activity in March 2022. Having identified several effective therapeutics and eliminated others, the trial remains active. It has moved into its next phase, extended to consider potential therapies for influenza and expanded its reach globally to some 200 sites.
PRINCIPLE – Platform randomised trial of treatments in the community for epidemic and pandemic illnesses continued to deliver during the year covered by this report and had recruited 10,000 people by April 2022. The Trial was recognised at the Health Data Research UK Awards.
PANORAMIC – Platform adaptive trial of novel antivirals for early treatment of COVID-19 in the community opened recruiting in December 2021 and had recruited 20,000 individuals across ? the NHS? by March 2022.
Future plans
A Pandemic Sciences Centre was announced in May 2021 and launched, as the Pandemic Sciences Institute in July 2022. The Institute forms part of the long-term plan for development of the physical campus across the Oxford Academic Health Partners’ footprint and will improve engagement with patients and the local community.
NIHR support for two Clinical Research Facilities (one at each Partner NHS Trust) announced in March 2022 will expand early phase clinical trials capabilities to deliver tangible life-changing benefits for patients and enable OAHP to collaborate further to develop the skills and experience of young researchers in carrying out early phase experimental medicine trials.