• The facility will be located at the Sant Joan University Hospital in Reus, in a 550‑square‑metre space
• The creation of this Unit has a total cost of 4.3 million euros, funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Next Generation funds
The Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute (IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV) has already started the initial work to build its new Clinical Research Unit (CRU), in collaboration with the Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus (HUSJR). This is a pioneering facility that will make it possible to carry out studies and clinical trials of medicines in all their phases, from the most experimental ones to the final stages before approval. The unit, which will occupy a 550‑square‑metre area inside the HUSJR, is funded with 4.3 million euros from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the public body under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities that manages biomedical research in Spain, and from the Next Generation EU funds.
The new CRU will represent an important step forward for the region’s capacity to develop high‑level clinical research. Until now, phase I trials for cancer patients —the most experimental ones, which allow a medicine to be given to a patient for the first time— could only be carried out in centres linked to large hospital structures, mainly in the Barcelona area. With this new unit, patients from Camp de Tarragona, Baix Penedès and Terres de l’Ebre will have access to these studies without having to travel far from home.
The director of IRB CatSud, Joan Vendrell, highlights that the CRU “will serve more than 800,000 inhabitants and will allow citizens to have more equal access to innovative therapies, which until now were only available in centres far from the region”. Anton Benet, manager of Salut Sant Joan Reus‑Baix Camp, adds that the unit “will make it easier to attract new studies in many specialties, especially in oncology, and will strengthen the region’s ability to attract and retain talent, which is very important in a context where there is a lack of specialised health professionals”.
The CRU will also include high‑precision technology, such as a 3‑Tesla MRI scanner for advanced studies, as well as specific areas for specialised tests, monitoring and telemedicine. The project involves the three health regions, local administrations and the Rovira i Virgili University, which have taken part in defining the strategic plan. In addition, the Tarragona Provincial Council will fund the creation of the Body Composition Analysis Unit with 500,000 euros. This unit will be located inside the CRU and will include a special room for metabolic studies, unique in Spain.
The construction work is expected to continue until the end of 2026, when the unit is planned to start operating. Its launch will strengthen Southern Catalonia as a reference point in clinical research and will help improve healthcare practice and treatment opportunities for the population.
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