Cash boost for life sciences but skills shortage stays
Industry leaders in the UK’s pharmaceutical, tech and health sectors have reacted with enthusiasm – and no small amount of relief – following the government announcement of a £650 million fund to boost the nation’s life sciences. David Sapsted reports.
T
he ‘Life Sci for Growth’ programme, unveiled by ministers in late May, came after a
period of growing criticism of government policies affecting the sector. Leading pharma chiefs had been particularly damning about rising sales taxes on drugs to the NHS, saying the increases were undermining the government’s own vision of making the UK a world leader in life sciences. In February, the Financial
Times reported that Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s chief executive, had said that drug makers should not be made to pay for the “explosion” of NHS costs, while US pharma groups Eli Lilly and AbbVie pulled out of the pricing agreement with the NHS. The Times reported recently:
“The £94 billion life sciences industry is one of Britain’s biggest and is seen by government as an engine of growth for a sluggish economy. The industry, however, has complained of bureaucracy, inertia and cultural resistance in an overstretched NHS after a collapse in medical research since Covid.” Now all that might be on the
verge of changing. Initiatives under the ‘Life Sci for Growth’ programme include £154 million for the construction of a new facility in Manchester to enable the UK Biobank – a pioneering genomics project – to quadruple its research capacity. Funds will also be available to enable the project’s IT infrastructure to be upgraded. There will also be £121 million
to speed up regulatory approval of commercial clinical trials. The
government has accepted virtually all the recommendations of a review headed by Lord O’Shaughnessy, a former health minister, on overhauling clinical trials, including offering bonuses to GPs who recruit patients to take part. Up to £48 million of new
money will also be available for scientific innovation to prepare for any future health emergencies. There will also be a £250 million fund to incentivise pension schemes to invest in promising science and tech firms. Additionally, ministers plan
to amend planning regulations to free-up much needed lab space and to improve the rail infrastructure between Oxford and Cambridge in a bid to attract more investment to the UK’s ‘science powerhouse’ corridor.
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THINK GLOBAL PEOPLE LIFE SCIENCES
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