The four Key drivers driving the UK Life science Market expansion

For over 40 years, the UK life sciences industry – covering medical devices, medical diagnostics and pharmaceuticals, through to synthetic and industrial biotechnology – has been one of the most successful globally. The UK has long been a world-leader for innovation in life sciences. The four Key drivers which will further drive the UK Life science Market expansion for the next few years are

Government Investments

Pharmaceutical Industry is facing cost challenges. It can take up to 15 years, and cost over $800m, to get one new drug to market. Stratified medicine and biomedical research could lead to reduced development times, fewer failures, and lower costs, thereby impacting the market positively. The UK government intends to invest ￡310m to support the discovery, development and commercialization of life sciences research. Out of this investment, more than one-third (￡130m) will be allocated for Stratified Medicine and ￡180m for a Biomedical Catalyst Fund. This move is expected to encourage research in both pharmaceuticals and biotech areas, besides enabling better availability through commercialization of the related products.

More efficient clinical trials

Launched in March 2011, the UK Clinical Trials Gateway (UKCTG) is a platform that provides detailed information on clinical trials and other studies looking to recruit patients. The idea behind UKCTG was to leverage the readiness of patients to participate in research. However, an online survey conducted in mid-2012 to assess the efficacy of UKCTG revealed that 80% of the respondents (out of total 645) had not heard of it before receiving the survey. This finding emphasizes that the platform would need extensive promotion to realize its full potential as a reliable and trustworthy source on clinical trials and studies. If leveraged fully, this can help clinical trials recruit patients with greater ease and in quicker time.

New Biomedical Research Centers

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has announced establishment of new NIHR Biomedical Research Centers and Units, besides two NIHR Translational Research Partnerships (TRPs). A total funding of ￡800m, spread over five years (beginning in 2012) is to be invested by the NIHR for this initiative. The BRCs and BRUs are expected to strengthen translational research in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, diabetes, dementia, nutrition, ageing and heart disease; whereas, the first two TRPs will focus on inflammatory respiratory disease and joint and related inflammatory diseases. These new research establishments will increase the capacity of the NHS to work in collaboration with universities and industry to undertake world-class research.

Collaborative Initiatives

The UK has witnessed a few collaboration ventures in the recent past, where the three key stakeholders is the life sciences research – Industry, Academia, and the Government – have come together. For Ex GlaxoSmithKline transferred its imaging facility in London to a partnership named Imanova, working in the field of neuroscience, cancer imaging and developing novel applications. GlaxoSmithKline partnered with the government for this establishment too. Another example of partnership is Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst campus which is a major hub for early-stage biotechnology companies. It provides small to medium-sized biotech and life sciences companies and start-ups with access to the expertise, networks and scientific facilities traditionally associated with multinational pharmaceutical companies. In October 2012, the Medical Research Council (MRC) announced 15 research projects in collaboration with AstraZeneca, which gave academic researchers access to 22 chemical compounds. AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline also partnered with Universities of Liverpool and Manchester for a doctoral training program in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

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