The UK government has announced the launch a joint public-private investment programme worth up to £400m to support clinical research and accelerate the development of new drugs.
It is hoped that the initiative, which is part of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicine Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG), will give NHS patients earlier access to new treatments, strengthen clinical trials and improve medicines manufacturing in the UK.
The programme will allocate 75% of the funding to expand the UK’s capacity for commercial clinical trials, with up to 18 new clinical trial hubs set to be opened across the four nations. Researchers will also have increased access to the latest equipment and technology to enable studies to be designed across hospital and primary, community and residential care settings.
Approximately 20% of the investment will be directed towards sustainable manufacturing initiatives, promoting efficiency and reducing waste and emissions within the pharmaceutical sector, while the remaining 5% will focus on modernising the Health Technology Assessment processes used to assess the cost and clinical effectiveness of new treatments.
Health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “This private investment is a significant vote of confidence in the UK and will fast-track the next generation of treatments to NHS patients. It will enhance the UK’s global competitiveness and transform the country into the epicentre of health research, supporting an NHS fit for the future.”
VPAG was agreed by the government, NHS England, and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in November last year and is set to run until 31 December 2028.
Alongside helping to ensure that the NHS can continue to improve the speed at which it secures and adopts the newest treatments, the programme is aimed at keeping the price of vital branded medicines affordable for the health service and fair for taxpayers.
Launched as part of the scheme, the additional £400m of life sciences investment by industry will support implementation of the investment programme.
Richard Torbett, ABPI chief executive, said: “The life sciences industry has the potential to deliver so much more for the UK – but to do this we need to fix the NHS, improve patient access to medicines and invest more in our critical science and regulatory infrastructure.”