The Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) has been the venue for the annual meeting of RECLIP, the Spanish Network of Paediatric Clinical Trials. This is the first time that the meeting is held in Barcelona, highlighting the role of Vall d'Hebron as a reference in paediatric research. Until now, the event had been held at the Santiago de Compostela Hospital, the team that leads the network.

The event was attended by experts, including representatives from scientific institutions, the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agencies. The meeting included sessions on industry perspectives on the future of paediatric clinical trials and the specific challenges of research in general hospitals. In addition, RECLIP's recent activity was updated and initiatives such as the RECLIP Decalogue were presented. Research ethics and the impact of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, on the development of new methodologies for paediatric clinical trials were also discussed.

Lines of action to strengthen collaboration between RECLIP and other networks such as SCReN, the Carlos III Health Institute's platform to support clinical research units, and Connect4children were also discussed.

During the meeting, the model of the Vall d'Hebron Paediatric Research Hub was highlighted, presented as an example of how a large general hospital integrates and promotes research in childhood diseases.

RECLIP: a statewide network to promote clinical research on children

The RECLIP network was created in 2016 to promote paediatric clinical trials at the national level. Since then, it has incorporated 29 sites and has become a cornerstone for collaboration between hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions. With the support of Connect4children, a European network of paediatric clinical trials, RECLIP has facilitated numerous studies in public-private collaboration in Spain and has worked to give visibility to the need to promote clinical trials in the paediatric age group.

Among the network's interests is the active participation of adolescent patients through groups such as the YPAG (Young Patient Advisory Group), an initiative under development at Vall d'Hebron that strengthens the voice of patients in research.

Vall d'Hebron's commitment to paediatric research

The Paediatric Research Hub, created in 2021, places Vall d'Hebron as a leader in paediatric and adolescent research. Formed by 30 research groups, 5 of which are exclusively paediatric, and 26 principal investigators, it integrates knowledge and capabilities to undertake initiatives with global impact from a collaborative approach.

In the field of clinical trials, in 2023 Vall d'Hebron participated in 167 paediatric studies with the aim of offering new therapies and diagnostics to children. In the near future, the launch of a specific unit for paediatric clinical trials will further boost research in this field.