Transformative Sector Deal: Government and Life Sciences announcement
Business Secretary Greg Clark and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt have today (Wednesday 6 December) announced a Sector Deal with the Life Sciences sector
The Knowledge Transfer Network welcomes news of a transformative Sector Deal between the UK life sciences sector and the government has been announced. This draws substantial investment into the sector from across the world, ensuring that the next wave of breakthrough treatments, innovative medical research and technologies, and high skilled jobs are created in Britain.
The deal sets out a plan for key priorities for the sector going forward, with a vision and strategy that are aligned to the pillars of the Industrial Strategy and the themes of Sir John Bell’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy. It includes action on the technologies of the future and the evolution of clinical trials, alongside government support for direct and indirect investment to support growth.
Key highlights:
Business Secretary Greg Clark and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt have today (Wednesday 6 December) announced a Sector Deal with the Life Sciences sector.
Significant investment by 25 organisations from across the sector and supported by government will ensure the UK is at the forefront of developing new innovative treatments and medical technologies that improve patient lives.
The transformative Sector Deal gives the life sciences sector and government an agreed set of strategic goals that will ensure the UK builds on its exceptional reputation for science and research, genomics and clinical trials.
Key themes of the deal
Each theme sets out a programme of action:
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.
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 £162m, 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 two new national centres – Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre and a Vaccines centre – adding to the existing national centres and three advanced therapy treatment centres co-located in hospitals across the UK, as well as funding for viral vectors.
For more on this please click here.