ABPI publishes manifesto for government to accelerate UK life sciences industry

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has published a manifesto to strengthen the UK’s position in the research and development (R&D) of medicines and vaccines.

The ABPI Manifesto for Investment, Health, and Growth sets out its plan for how the UK can overtake global competitors and create a strong cycle to accelerate UK innovation and global R&D.

The ABPI calls on all political parties to commit to three goals, set out in the manifesto, with key requirements to ensure they happen.

It outlines the importance of strengthening the development, regulation and adoption journey for new medicines and vaccines to make the UK “a beacon for global research investment,” the ABPI wrote.

The ABPI encourages the government to work with industry as a partner to drive better health, investing in medicines and vaccines to improve prevention and health equity and deliver a sustainable NHS.

Lastly, the manifesto highlights equipping industry with the tools to drive economic growth in the UK, safeguarding intellectual property, removing trade barriers and incentivising advanced medicine manufacturing and skills development.

A total of £3.5bn of income for the NHS could be unlocked across the next five years by increasing recruitment to industry clinical trials, including up to £678m in cost savings from medicines and treatments freely provided through clinical trials.

Additionally, PwC research has shown that if the UK increased the use of DOACs, SGLT2 inhibitors, severe asthma biologics and vasopressin V2-receptor antagonists in the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s recommended patient population, an additional 429,000 years of life would be delivered for UK patients, as well as £17.9bn in productivity gains for the UK economy.

Furthermore, the UK could attract £15bn worth of investment, as well as double the number of medicines manufacturing employees over the next decade, by delivering a supportive policy and operating environment for medicines manufacturing.

Richard Torbett, chief executive, ABPI, commented: “Making this potential a reality requires a true partnership between industry and government, with a unified approach to health and growth.

“We are confident that if we get the policy environment right, the rewards for patients, the NHS and the economy will be considerable.”