NORTH-EAST patients may be the first in the UK to benefit from new drug trials after a deal was signed between a hospital trust and a major drug company.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is trying to encourage more research in UK hospitals, said he was "delighted" at the news.

The agreement between the Newcastle Hospitals Trust and the drug company Pfizer means that patients treated on Tyneside could have access to the latest treatments through clinical trial programmes.

The Newcastle Trust, which runs the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital, is the first trust in the UK to go into partnership with Pfizer.

The scheme will link clinical drug trials at 60 centres around the world.

The partnership is in line with the Government's aims of making the UK a world leader in life sciences and encouraging more research, including clinical trials.

Mr Cameron said: "This decision shows that our efforts to cut bureaucracy and to encourage more businesses to expand in the UK are succeeding. The UK is now a much more attractive location for clinical trials."

Jonathan Emms, UK managing director of Pfizer Ltd, said: "The UK is an important place for Pfizer to do research and like the Government, we want to see a strong research culture in the NHS and a positive environment for life sciences in the UK."

Sir Len Fenwick, chief executive of the Newcastle Hospitals Trust, said: "We look forward to working closely with Pfizer to enhance our research programme and bring new and better treatments to our patients."