KCE Trials was launched in 2015 at the request of Minister of Health Maggie De Block. Such programs already exist for a long time in other countries, such as England and the Netherlands.
Many questions in health care are currently not or insufficiently addressed in clinical studies, which are mainly carried out by the pharmaceutical industry. However, many of those issues are very important to society and its health system. KCE concluded in the summer of 2015 that public funding of such trials would be beneficial, under certain conditions (Report 246-2015). These trials not only contribute to better patient care but also to a more efficient use of public resources.
At the end of 2015, Minister of Health Maggie De Block commissioned the KCE to initiate and manage a program of practice-oriented clinical trials. The annual budget then amounted to € 5 million. Today this has increased to € 10 million per year.
