Latest news with #LawrenceTallon
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UK government targets manufacturing as it eyes £41bn life science sector growth
The UK Government will enhance manufacturing and commercialisation as it looks to harness the value of the life sciences sector for the country's economy. In a new Life Sciences sector plan, the government outlined a six-point action plan to ensure the sector reaches its forecasted value increase of £41bn, representing a growth of 165% by 2035. The government is aiming to make the UK the leading life sciences economy in Europe, and third largest in the world behind only America and China. While excelling at research and development (R&D), the report outlines difficulties with commercialisation and adoption. For example, despite being the first country to approve a CRISPR-based medicine, Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics' Casgevy for sickle cell anaemia is primarily commercialised overseas. In a bid to scale industry, the government has pledged £520m to improve life science manufacturing. Outlaid via the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSMIF), the investment will aim to expand the UK's manufacturing capabilities and supply chain security. The initiative comes at a crucial time, as British pharmaceutical companies are significantly increasing their investments in the United States. GSK invested $800m in drug substance and drug product manufacturing facilities in the US in October 2024. AstraZeneca – which has a market cap of £162bn – is reportedly plotting a move of its public listing to the US stock exchange in what would be a major blow to the UK economy. To facilitate the industry's expansion, the government will look to increase access to scale-up capital. There has been a cautious domestic investor base, leading to a lull in emerging companies with high economic outputs. The government will measure investment by the number of UK life science companies with a valuation of over £10bn, the number of companies on the FTSE 300, and the number of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the sector. From a regulatory standpoint, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and National Institute of Care and Excellence (NICE) will be supported to provide faster approvals and more efficient reimbursement. Optimism and criticism for UK life sciences MHRA's chief executive Lawrence Tallon welcomed the news, saying: 'It's great to see the MHRA is recognised as a pivotal partner in delivering the plan's vision - by supporting innovation, protecting public health, and making the UK a global destination for innovators to research, develop and launch cutting-edge medical products.' David Stockdale, chief executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) highlighted the importance of reducing regulatory and financial barriers to accelerate faster delivery of innovative MedTech solutions to patients. "We welcome today's announcement which rightly aims to make the UK a leading hub for investment and innovation in lifesaving MedTech, an essential step if we are to improve patient care and cut down waiting times. We particularly welcome the renewed commitments to the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund and the NHS Innovator Passports. Our members are eager to deliver their innovative products and services to patients more quickly and efficiently, and we look forward to working with the Government to make this a reality. Clinical trials are set to benefit from the plan, with a new 150 day or lower target for trial set up times. Finally, up to £600m will be put towards an artificial intelligence (AI)-ready health data platform, a strategy already launched in April 2025. The BioIndustry Association (BIA) said: 'The life science sector plan is right to focus on getting substantially more public and private investment in early-stage companies, improved access to data, trials and skills to help companies grow, and more streamlined regulation and market access pathways to get innovative medicines to NHS patients.' However, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) commented that the plan falls short of investing in innovative medicines. Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI, said: [The UK life sciences sector] has been struggling to remain competitive and attractive to investment. The solutions proposed are necessary and important, but they are not enough to turn around the UK's decline. 'The UK must address the core issue holding back the life sciences sector, the long-term disinvestment in innovative medicines that is increasingly preventing NHS patients from accessing medications that are available in other countries.' The life science sector plan comes hot on the heels of the 10-year health plan unveiled for the NHS earlier this month, which placed emphasis on technology and digitalisation. "UK government targets manufacturing as it eyes £41bn life science sector growth" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Medicines watchdog to open 'digital hub' in city
The UK's drug safety watchdog is to open a new "digital hub" in West Yorkshire. The site, to be located in Leeds city centre, would focus on digital delivery, software development and data science, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA regulates new medicines, healthcare products and healthcare technologies for patients to use. Lawrence Tallon, MHRA chief executive, said opening the new site in the city was aimed at "strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the north of England". There had been a "huge growth" in healthcare technologies driven by changes in software and AI which were going to revolutionise the way the NHS worked, and the new Leeds hub would help regulate those technologies, Mr Tallon said. Leeds was chosen for the new hub as it was home to over 44,000 tech professionals and about 11,000 students studying tech-related subjects, according to the MHRA. The hub, in Wellington Place, would also serve as a base for the digital operations of NHS England, with increasing investment from major tech companies, an MHRA spokesperson said. About 30 permanent, highly-skilled roles would initially be recruited to work at the new centre in the city, they added. Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, said: "There is a global tech revolution in healthcare unfolding, and Yorkshire will help our country lead it. "This isn't just about creating new jobs across the region, it's also about bolstering a city that's already leading the way in digital health." Mr Tallon said that by establishing an MHRA digital hub in Leeds, "we're strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the north of England – bringing regulatory expertise closer to the people, organisations and innovations we serve". Meanwhile, he said Leeds was "buzzing, thriving, an exciting place". "We are really excited about create new jobs within our organisation right in the heart of Leeds," Mr Tallon added. Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council's executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said the MHRA's announcement of the plan for a digital hub was "welcome". "Leeds is already a centre for digital health and innovation and this rapidly growing market contributes significantly to the economy," she said. "The hub will support the creation of jobs and provide career opportunities for local graduates and professionals." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Indian tech firm to create 1,000 jobs in city Sky to create up to 400 jobs in city Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency NHS England
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Medicines watchdog to open 'digital hub' in Leeds city centre
The UK's drug safety watchdog is to open a new "digital hub" in West Yorkshire. The site, to be located in Leeds city centre, would focus on digital delivery, software development and data science, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).The MHRA regulates new medicines, healthcare products and healthcare technologies for patients to Tallon, MHRA chief executive, said opening the new site in the city was aimed at "strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the north of England". There had been a "huge growth" in healthcare technologies driven by changes in software and AI which were going to revolutionise the way the NHS worked, and the new Leeds hub would help regulate those technologies, Mr Tallon was chosen for the new hub as it was home to over 44,000 tech professionals and about 11,000 students studying tech-related subjects, according to the hub, in Wellington Place, would also serve as a base for the digital operations of NHS England, with increasing investment from major tech companies, an MHRA spokesperson 30 permanent, highly-skilled roles would initially be recruited to work at the new centre in the city, they added. 'City leading way' Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, said: "There is a global tech revolution in healthcare unfolding, and Yorkshire will help our country lead it. "This isn't just about creating new jobs across the region, it's also about bolstering a city that's already leading the way in digital health."Mr Tallon said that by establishing an MHRA digital hub in Leeds, "we're strengthening our ability to collaborate with partners across the north of England – bringing regulatory expertise closer to the people, organisations and innovations we serve".Meanwhile, he said Leeds was "buzzing, thriving, an exciting place"."We are really excited about create new jobs within our organisation right in the heart of Leeds," Mr Tallon Venner, Leeds City Council's executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said the MHRA's announcement of the plan for a digital hub was "welcome"."Leeds is already a centre for digital health and innovation and this rapidly growing market contributes significantly to the economy," she said."The hub will support the creation of jobs and provide career opportunities for local graduates and professionals." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UK clinical trial sector progress ‘remarkable', says former health minister
The progress the UK has made as a global contributor to clinical trials is 'remarkable', says Lord James O'Shaughnessy, former health minister and author of the landmark report into the domestic commercial clinical trials sector. Two years on from the publication of his review, and on Clinical Trials Day (20 May), O'Shaughnessy said that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is once again taking a global lead. 'The progress the MHRA has made in the two years since I published my review has been remarkable. Despite its global reputation for excellence, by 2023, trial approval set-up times had slipped badly,' O'Shaughnessy said. 'The MHRA is now delivering consistently good approval times while introducing further reforms to add speed and flexibility to the process. With a clear mandate from the prime minister to reduce trial set-up times to 150 days, which would be genuinely world-leading, the MHRA is once again taking a global lead.' Lord O'Shaughnessy became a well-known name in the clinical trial sector after his review was published in May 2023. The review made 27 recommendations where action should be taken by the government and delivery partners, including the MHRA, to address key challenges and transform the UK's commercial clinical trials environment. MHRA chief executive Lawrence Tallon also reflected on the new regulations by the agency, which help to create patient-centric trials and provide a faster and more streamlined approval system. Tallon said: 'The UK is already a research powerhouse driven by innovation, with one in eight trials in the UK testing treatments in humans for the first time. "But we want to go further. Last month, we began implementing the most significant update to UK clinical trials regulation in over two decades. These reforms will address the research sector's need for a more risk-proportionate regulatory framework for clinical trials and will help get cutting-edge new treatments to the NHS as quickly as possible.' Last month, the MHRA placed the UK as a global leader in clinical trials once again following a collaborative report with the University of Liverpool, which was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. On top of April's regulation, which was first announced in December 2024, the MHRA is launching a six-week consultation on the use of real-world data (RWD) for external control arms of clinical trials, which has the potential to help accelerate the approval of treatments, especially when randomised controlled trials may not be ethical or feasible. The new guidance is for those planning a clinical trial that may include an RWD external control arm to support a regulatory decision on a medical product. In April 2025, the UK Government announced it would invest £600m ($764m) into a new Health Data Research Service to support researchers. The investment will provide researchers with a secure access point to national datasets to be used in research. The regulation implemented last month should reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on trial sponsors without compromising patient safety. They are also designed to protect trial participants, facilitate the development of new medicines, remove obstacles to innovation, and ensure that legislation enables trial sponsors to work across countries. The legislation is part of a broader overhaul by the MHRA, supported by health system partners including the Health Research Authority (HRA), academia and researchers. The new regulations will be accompanied by guidance from the MHRA and HRA to embed meaningful public involvement in clinical trials and increase participant diversity. The regulatory bodies hope this will demonstrate the UK's potential as a research base that can improve care and minimise health inequalities. The MHRA has also improved its processing of clinical trial applications, with 100% of clinical trials and investigations applications having been handled within statutory timescales since September 2023. "UK clinical trial sector progress 'remarkable', says former health minister" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
