Government release LifeScienceUK report

The review was undertaken by the four leading UK human healthcare trade associations that are partners in LifeSciencesUK. The report provides an assessment of the challenges and areas for further work. It looks at the flagship commitments that the organisations believe have the greatest potential in enabling the life sciences sector to thrive, grow and ultimately deliver benefits for patients in the UK.

The Strategy for UK Life Sciences shows a commitment to support the UK as a global centre of excellence. However, the government has recognised that in order to win the global race, it needs to do more to attract new investment and create new jobs and economic opportunities in an increasingly competitive industry. The development of partnerships to harness new technologies is paramount, the commercialisation of academic research will help to establish a healthcare system which embraces the newest and best treatments available.

The development of the Centre for Process Innovation’s (CPI’s) National Biologics Manufacturing Centre (NBMC) will work towards reaching this goal by supporting companies of all sizes to develop, prove, demonstrate, scale-up and commercialise new biologic products and processes. The £38m investment, located in Darlington, is due to open in 2015 with CPI planning on running some early stage programmes in its existing facility throughout 2014.

Industry members on the NBMC steering board are working to ensure the centre is delivered to requirements and is awaiting a decision on the exact ​‘hub and spokes’ model to be established which will focus around the translation and commercialisation of biologic research.