New figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) show a 17% rise in approved clinical investigations compared with last year, as companies increasingly choose Great Britain to test cutting-edge health technologies.
At the same time, the MHRA is rolling out new measures to back innovation and remove barriers for smaller companies, including a fee waiver pilot, early market access to promising devices, and enhanced support for high-impact technologies.
For patients, this means earlier access to potentially life-changing technologies. For the NHS, it offers better tools to diagnose disease, manage long-term illness and deliver more precise treatment.
The growth reflects a global race to tackle some of the most challenging health conditions. Dementia, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy are driving huge investment in neurotechnology, with studies in this area doubling since 2024 to make up around a quarter of all UK applications.
AI-powered medical devices are also surging, including tools that scan medical images to spot disease earlier, guide treatment decisions and personalise care
Companies are looking for speed, certainty and expertise, and this is the offering from the UK. The MHRA has met 100% of its statutory deadlines for clinical investigation applications since September 2023, with average approval times for clinical investigations in 2025 at 51 days, running nine days faster than the 60-day target. Researchers receive hands-on scientific support to help design safer, more robust studies, with specialist advice meetings consistently high.
To build on this momentum, the MHRA is now rolling out a package of measures designed to back the most innovative technologies and cut barriers for smaller companies.
From January 2026, the MHRA has waived fees for micro and small UK firms in a pilot scheme to help unlock high-potential ideas that might otherwise stall due to early costs.
MHRA Chief Executive Lawrence Tallon (pictured above) said: “This has been a standout year for medical device innovation in the UK. We’re seeing more of the world’s most exciting technologies coming here first, particularly in areas like brain health, where patients urgently need better options. Our focus now is on backing the most innovative ideas, cutting unnecessary barriers, and helping companies move more quickly while keeping patient safety at the heart of everything we do.”