The UK is facing challenges in maintaining its place as a leading hub for life sciences due to a variety of factors. Despite consistent government support and investment, patient enrollment in commercial studies has decreased significantly, and the country’s share of global pharmaceutical R&D has fallen sharply since 2012.
Additionally, the UK’s healthcare system has been overwhelmed and overburdened in the wake of the pandemic, which has resulted in delays in clinical trials and industry setbacks. There is a growing need for the government to recognize that the trading environment affects investment decisions and to implement changes that strategically prioritize the life sciences industry.
One significant issue contributing to the challenges is the five-year voluntary rebate scheme, in which companies give a portion of their sales back to the healthcare system to help control the overall drug bill. The rates under this scheme have jumped up to 26.5% this year from single-digit figures, prompting companies like AbbVie and Eli Lilly to withdraw from the regime.
To address these challenges, the industry has proposed a fixed discount of 6.88%, reflecting better risk sharing of high costs than under the current system. The British Pharmaceutical Industry Association has also suggested an additional industry-funded investment facility to aid life sciences infrastructure and capacity. Other changes could help to close the gap, such as utilizing a portion of reimbursement funds to incentivize local uptake of innovative medicines.
However, it is evident that a reset is needed in the UK’s approach to life sciences, as there has been an “execution gap” in momentum and money behind key initiatives. While the UK government has declared its commitment to making the nation a “global hub for clinical research and medical innovation,” it must work to prioritize the industry and implement changes that strategically drive growth and success.
Additional piece:
One way that the UK can maintain its position as a leading life sciences hub is by prioritizing innovation and collaboration with industry leaders. The life sciences industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies and treatments emerging regularly, and it is crucial that the UK government remains up to date and responsive to these shifts.
Moreover, investing in the development of cutting-edge technologies, such as personalized medicine and gene therapies, can not only lead to significant advancements in patient care, but can also provide a competitive edge for the UK in the global marketplace. This investment can come in the form of tax breaks and financial incentives for companies investing in research and development in the UK.
Another area of focus for the UK government should be fostering collaboration between academic institutions and industry leaders. There is a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the academic community that can be leveraged to drive innovation and scientific discovery. Collaboration between academia and industry can lead to the development of new treatments and therapies, as well as the creation of new companies and job opportunities.
In conclusion, the UK must prioritize the life sciences industry and work to address the challenges it currently faces. By investing in innovation, fostering collaboration between academia and industry, and implementing changes that reflect the constantly evolving nature of the industry, the UK can maintain its position as a leading global hub for life sciences research and discovery.
Summary:
The UK government has pledged to make the country a global life sciences hub, citing the nation’s strengths in research and innovation. However, challenges such as decreased patient enrollment in commercial studies and a decrease in the UK’s global pharmaceutical R&D share pose significant obstacles to realizing this vision. Additionally, the UK’s healthcare system has been overburdened in the wake of the pandemic, resulting in delays in clinical trials and industry setbacks. The government must work to strategically prioritize the industry and implement changes to drive growth and success. Investment in cutting-edge technologies, fostering collaboration between academia and industry, and implementing changes to the rebate scheme are all potential solutions to these challenges.
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The life sciences sector is the rarest thing – an area where the UK government is generally in agreement with itself.
Reports have consistently married the importance of the sector and the UK’s strengths in terms of a leading university, a strong research base, good expertise and a centralized system in the NHS. THE industrial strategy of the life sciences in 2017, it outlined a “vision” to be a “global hub . . . for clinical research and medical innovation”.
The growth plan (2021 version), after the end of the industrial strategy, aimed at “world-renowned clinical research and a unique health system from cradle to grave”. Clinical trials have been highlighted as an opportunity for Brexit. The 2021 Life Sciences Vision (yes, another one) pledged to “consolidate the UK’s position as a scientific superpower”. Last week brought two more reviews – by innovation regulation AND clinical trials – plus £650 million “Life Sci for Growth” package..
Despite all these declarations of strength and significance, the system is in rehabilitation mode. The number of patients enrolled in commercial studies has decreased by 44% since 2017, with a slide down the global rankings in terms of late-stage studies initiated. That’s not all: the UK went completely from business to pandemic research during Covid-19 and failed to regroup.
This is also a wider problem. The UK’s share in global pharmaceutical R&D has fallen sharply since 2012, from 7.7% to 4.2% in 2020. Manufacturing has declined since 2015, according to the British Pharmaceutical Industry Associationalong with exports.
Even by British standards of an industrial policy resting on its laurels and rhetoric, this is meager. It wasn’t a problem of diagnosis or lack of ideas. But there has been what GSK boss Emma Walmsley calls an “execution gap”, in terms of momentum and money behind key initiatives.
An overwhelmed and demoralized healthcare system, particularly after the pandemic, has struggled to prioritize clinical trials, so Lord O’Shaughnessy’s recommendation last week to tie direct financial incentives to research participation. The health regulator has lost capacity and experience, resulting in long delays. Last week’s package, with a sprinkle of new money, was a step in the right direction.
But the truth is, sentiment towards the UK has also soured because of the drug business environment. The five-year voluntary rebate scheme, in which companies give a portion of their sales back to the healthcare system to help control the overall drug bill, has jumped to 26.5% this year from the usual single-digit figures. AbbVie and Eli Lilly they withdrew from the regime (a symbolic protest given the punishingly high legal rebate). Lilly interrupted government fanfare last week to say she was suspending investment in the country. AstraZeneca he cited the regime in his decision build a $400 million facility in Ireland rather than the UK.
Of course, drug companies are always complaining about drug prices. And the government makes the not unreasonable point that the industry has joined this scheme, including the possibility of such high payments.
But a reset is needed and negotiations are underway for a new agreement. “We need to see recognition within government that the trading environment affects investment decisions,” said Paul Blakeley of the Tony Blair Institute.
The industry has proposed a fixed discount of 6.88%. This looks like an optimistic starting point for talks, with higher flat rates across Europe, but reflects better risk sharing of high costs than under the current system. The chancellor was last week, as you’d expect, still talking tough on financial pressures.
Other changes could help close the gap. The British Pharmaceutical Industry Association has suggested an additional industry-funded investment facility, so that funds go back to life sciences infrastructure and capacity. “We need to back up policy rhetoric with practical levers to achieve strategic priorities,” said Blakeley, who separately suggests using a portion of reimbursement funds to incentivize local uptake of innovative medicines, another area where the UK system underperformed .
No more visions, please. But tying payments to politics could help get everyone looking in the same direction again.
https://www.ft.com/content/aed6c929-6eeb-4f6d-bce7-d36445fc5ebf
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