ABPI conference provided optimism for the future of the UK as a life sciences superpower 5 May 2021
At the end of April, PharmaMedic Consultancy sponsored a session at the virtual ABPI Annual Conference and were proud to see our logo alongside the illustrious speaker panel. The event took place at a critical juncture for the UK pharmaceutical and life science industry. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of academia, government and industry, with accelerated vaccine development, the UK has now immunised a significant proportion of its adult population against COVID-19. As the Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock commented during the session, we have ‘achieved in months what usually takes years’.
The points raised during the meeting give us pause for thought and will no doubt inspire further progress over the coming months.
Among the presentations, Professor Sir John Bell reflected on how the work from the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine team could provide a springboard for future UK research. Blake Dark, Commercial Medicines Director, NHSEI, discussed how the NHS has worked over the last 12 months to secure patient access to new medicines with a clinically and commercially driven approach.
During the session, Matt Hancock also delivered a wide-ranging speech, discussing the current and future initiatives that will help the UK to cement its position as a growing life sciences superpower. His address is available in full here.
He noted that while we have been able to accelerate development at this time of crisis, we must now translate our successes and learning towards a post-pandemic future.
He also tackled issues that we at PharmaMedic discussed during our first breakfast briefing– how regulators can support rather than inhibit innovation and particularly the role of the MHRA as it forges a new post-Brexit role.
The connections between government, academia and industry are now more vital than ever, and public engagement with research is high.
We are excited to see what the next 12 months will bring for the ABPI and the UK life science industry as a whole. It was certainly inspiring and positive to hear from the panel of speakers, and we were proud to have contributed in a small way to the event by sponsoring a session.