‘The vision we are setting out provides a new blueprint for how Government, the NHS and industry can work together to deliver the next generation of therapies, diagnostics and insights…’
The UK Government has a launched a 10-year life sciences strategy for tackling some of the country’s biggest healthcare problems; including cancer and dementia. The UK Life Sciences Vision, which has been developed in collaboration with businesses and leading experts, uses the response to the covid-19 pandemic as a blueprint for accelerating the delivery of innovative treatments for patients. The Government said that the new strategy sets out to ensure that ‘scientific excellence, partnered with the dynamism of industry, is replicated to assist the NHS in solving the most pressing health challenges of our generation now and in the future.’
The Life Sciences Vision outlines seven critical healthcare missions that government, industry, the NHS, academia and medical research charities will work together on, at speed, to solve. These missions include: accelerating the pace of study into novel dementia treatments, sustaining the UK’s position in vaccine discovery, addressing the underlying biology of aging, and increasing the understanding of mental health conditions.
Supporting the Life Sciences Vision, the Government has set up a £200 million Life Sciences Investment Programme which it says will ‘unlock the potential of innovative UK life science companies so that they can grow their operations and create high-skilled jobs in the UK.’ The Life Sciences Investment Programme will have access to a scientific advisory panel comprised of leading industry figures and chaired by Professor Sir John Bell. The panel will share insight on key scientific trends.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: ‘The UK life sciences sector has been a beacon of hope over the last year and a half…This ambitious strategy sets out how we can replicate this same scientific excellence and agility to meet today’s greatest health challenges, doing with cancer, dementia and obesity, what we did with the virus – gaining the upper hand with brilliant science.’
The Life Sciences Vision has been widely welcomed, with Sir Jonathan Symonds, Chairman GSK, Co-chair of the External Advisory Group commenting: ‘The vision we are setting out provides a new blueprint for how Government, the NHS and industry can work together to deliver the next generation of therapies, diagnostics and insights to improve patient health…’
Roland Diggelmann, CEO Smith+Nephew added: ‘As the UK’s largest medtech company, Smith+Nephew looks forward to working in partnership with Government and colleagues from across the healthcare sector to build on the Vision…’
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