Life sciences sector deal: Overview and industry responses
Yesterday (Wednesday 6 December) saw the announcement of a sector deal by the government with the life sciences sector — a key part of the industrial strategy white paper — which should bring substantial global investment into the sector to ensure continued innovation and highly-skilled job creation happens in Britain.
In response to the announcement of the deal, the CEO of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), Steve Bates, said: “It is fantastic that the life sciences are the first sector to have a deal published and this document showcases a range of investment in to the industry and partnerships working across this exciting and entrepreneurial industry. BIA members are particularly prominent in advanced therapies manufacturing and genomics.
“The sector deal shows government commitment to the agenda we have long led on access to finance, support for start-up and scale-up businesses, Innovate UK funding and medicines manufacturing. The BIA will be involved in the implementation of the deal as a clear voice for small businesses and I look forward to engaging in the planned funding and review next year.”
The sector deal has set out a strategic vision, as agreed upon by the life sciences sector and the government, that is built on co-investment to modernise the industry, boost businesses of all sizes and to ensure the sector is positioned to respond to the challenges and opportunities of demographic change and pioneering research and development.
A number of significant commitments and investments into the country are being brought together by the deal. We have already been informed of the major investments proposed by Merck and GSK as a part of the deal.
“Across the world, advances in science and technology are transforming the way we live our lives. Nowhere is innovation more life-changing than in medicine, healthcare and its associated fields,” explained business secretary Greg Clark, who co-announced the deal. “New discoveries and the applications of new technologies are making diagnoses earlier and more accurate, making new treatments available and existing ones more effective; and making care more beneficial and comforting.
“The United Kingdom is extraordinarily well-placed to play a leading role in this revolution in the life sciences. Our universities and research institutes rank among the best in the world. They nurture and attract some of the most inventive people on earth.
“We are home to many of the most successful global life sciences businesses and we are also a hotbed of new businesses – springing up to bring new discoveries and techniques to a wider market. Our National Health Service is a prized national asset – the nation’s biggest employer and a deep source of learning and of translating discoveries into care.
“That is what our Industrial Strategy sets out to support and achieve. So it is appropriate that the first Sector Deal of our Industrial Strategy should be with the life sciences sector.”
“The UK has a huge amount to offer the life sciences sector, combining globally renowned scientific research bases with our world leading NHS which allows innovators to test and refine products at scale,” added health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who also co-announced the deal. “Today proves that life science organisations of all sizes will continue to grow and thrive in the coming years, which means NHS patients will continue to be at the front of the queue for new treatments.”
“This Life Sciences Sector Deal demonstrates how powerful it can be to have industry, the NHS, the research community and charities all working together to provide important new insights that can lead to the discovery and implementation of novel innovations for healthcare,” commented the author of the industrial strategy paper Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford, Professor Sir John Bell. “It represents a significant change in both pace and culture that I hope will lead to a flow of such investments into the future.”
Key themes of the deal
Research
Building on the UK’s position as a world leader in biomedical discovery with major inward investments, including MSD announcing a new state-of-the-art R&D hub in London.
Technologies of the future
The deal outlines plans to grow the UK’s international reputation for pioneering early diagnostics and genomics programmes, with a government investment from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund of up to £210 million, subject to business case. This will contribute to the genomics programme in partnership with organisations including GSK and AstraZeneca and launch a trail-blazing AI programme to develop digital pathology and radiology programmes in partnership with industry, embedded in the NHS.
The evolution of UK clinical trials capabilities
Ensuring that the UK continues to lead the world with its clinical trials, through innovative new trials platforms and investments in the UK’s digital evidence collection abilities, combined with a progressive regulatory system. The Medicines Company is today announcing new trials that will use novel methodologies.
Business environment
The government has committed £162 million, through the first wave of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, to develop innovative medicines manufacturing infrastructure and enable SMEs to manufacture advanced therapies. This includes 2 new national centres – Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre and a Vaccines centre – adding to the existing national centres and 3 advanced therapy treatment centres co-located in hospitals across the UK as well as funding for viral vectors.
Investment across the UK
The UK has a number of world-class life sciences clusters across the country and today’s deal delivers on the Industrial Strategy’s aim to distribute growth and opportunity across the country, with pioneering investments in Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, South Wales and the South East.