Talking points: UK invests in life sciences

Up to £260 million of government funding will be made available to expand life sciences manufacturing in the UK.

The majority of the funding (£200 million) will be used to invest in digital capabilities in clinical trial services and to help researchers better access NHS data through Trusted Research Environments. The government hopes the funding will make crucial data more secure and quicker to access for research. It’s also intended to ensure that the NHS will be able to deliver new treatments to patients faster and support more diverse and inclusive clinical research to tackle health inequalities and improve patient care.

A further £60 million will be available to support commercial-scale manufacturing investments by companies developing a range of technologies including medical devices and diagnostics, and cell and gene therapies.

The funding for manufacturing investments will be distributed through the new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), which has been launched to grow the UK’s life sciences sector.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The past two years have shown just how important our fantastic medical and life sciences industry is for the UK not only in dealing with the pandemic, but also for the vital economic opportunities they create throughout the country.

"By providing £260 million to boost UK medical manufacturing and medical research, we are ensuring the industry has the support it needs to improve patient outcomes and generate high-skilled jobs while building up Britain’s manufacturing base in the process.”