As part of its £650m ‘Life Sci for Growth’ scheme to boost the life sciences sector and the wider economy, the government will establish a Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence with a dedicated £5.5m fund.
Britain’s life science community is celebrating the country’s return to the EU Horizon Europe research programme, which was announced on 7 September 2023.
The third annual Pharma Reputation Index, commissioned by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), has found that the public looks favourably on the industry and continues to recognise its commitment to developing new medicines.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is inviting feedback on plans to end use of the European Commission Decision Reliance Procedure (ECDRP) to bring medicines to market.
Roadblocks from the EU, and the UK government’s determination to get a ‘fair settlement’ on associate membership, are harming international collaborative research programmes and, ultimately, patients’ access to innovative treatments and devices.
The UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has announced an indefinite extension to the use of CE marking for businesses in the UK, beyond the 2024 deadline. The aim is to cut business costs and products’ time to market. The government intends to implement major reforms to the current regulatory framework for medical devices, with core parts set to apply from 1 July 2025.
New biotechs and small pharma companies find it hard to take their products from discovery to market because of a lack of capital and early-stage expertise. Dr Malcolm Barratt-Johnson, PharmaMedic Consultancy’s Managing Director, says the traditional routes do not work and offers a plan to help innovators move their products forward.
A High Court judgment on a judicial review brought by the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has dismissed the organisation’s claim that it was unfairly excluded from talks on the next Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS).
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are investing £14 million in a new research programme to investigate challenges in the diagnosis, management and treatment of rare diseases.
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has opened a public consultation on the first updates to its health technology evaluations manual, which was published in January 2022.
