Government plans for post-Brexit life sciences landscape outlined at conference
During the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) conference Lord O'Shaughnessy (parliamentary under secretary of State for Health) has outlined the government's plans to support and promote the UK's life sciences sector post-Brexit.
In this first speech from a government minister addressing industry concerns, the government's plans for future collaboration between the UK and EU were affirmed. Additionally, Lord O'Shaughnessy stressed the UK's position as a 'scientific, regulatory and industrial centre of excellence', outlining three key principles that must be enforced for the future relationship between Europe and Britain:
- Patients must never be disadvantaged.
- The UK will continue to play a leading role promoting and ensuring public health — both in Europe and around the world.
- Industry must be able to get their products into the UK market as quickly and simply as possible, with the UK and Europe at the forefront of medical innovation.
“It’s great to see that the minister has taken the opportunity at the joint BIA MHRA Conference, to offer a clear message to the UK life sciences industry, as we look towards the next round of EU negotiations taking place next week. The strong commitment ‘to secure ongoing close collaboration between the UK and the EU, with the needs and rights of patients always our paramount concern’ is good news for patients, industry and investors in the UK and EU," said BIA CEO, Steve Bates. “This builds on the helpful letter from Secretaries of State Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark last week. The BIA will continue to share our members’ expertise with government and all relevant stakeholders throughout the negotiation process and continue the ‘positive level of engagement and debate’ that has occurred so far between us.”
In response to the announcement made by Lord O’Shaughnessy, Dr Richard Torbett, executive director of commercial policy, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said: "It’s important to put significant government investment where it counts, and speeding up patients’ access to new medicines and treatments is one route to healthier lives for us all.
As more and more small and medium-sized innovators join the ABPI, we continue to encourage and advocate ways to make groundbreaking, cost-effective healthcare technologies available as fast as possible. In doing so, patients will not only benefit from improved care, but the NHS will also become more productive and more sustainable in the long term.
Academic Health Science Network’s (ASHNs) are a critical delivery partner for bringing the Accelerated Access Review (AAR) to life, and £39 million of investment is an important first step in pulling industry and the health service together to realise the Review’s ambition.
Turning the rest of the AAR’s recommendations into reality now relies on a full, positive Government response to the Review – and an effective Life Sciences Industrial Strategy.
If we get this right, fostering greater collaboration between innovators, patients, NICE and the NHS can make the UK the world leading hub for Life Sciences."