Action Plan for UK to capture the next generation of medicines manufacturing jobs
Taskforce calls on Government to make the UK the go to destination for international investment in ground-breaking medicinal therapies.
The Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Taskforce (ATMT) has today published its action plan outlining a strategy on how the UK can become the global hub of advanced medicinal therapy manufacturing and ensure the long-term success of this industry in the UK.
Launched at the annual bioProcessUK conference in Newcastle on 23rd November, Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Action Plan, Retaining and attracting advanced therapies manufacture in the UK. It looks at the medicines manufacturing industry of the future, where advanced therapy manufacturing, a broad term covering the highly specialised manufacturing necessary for innovative medical treatments, including cell and gene therapy, is expected to grow to be worth between $14-21bn globally per year by 2025.
Cell and gene therapies can either alter the patient's DNA or inject living cellular material to treat disease. It allows for treatments which are tailored to individual patients with a much greater certainty that they will be effective compared to alternative therapies.
Taskforce was launched by the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) earlier this year and is co-chaired by Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Jo Johnson MP and Ian McCubbin, SVP North America, Japan & Global Pharma Supply, GlaxoSmithKline. The action plan outlines the key actions the UK can take to capture manufacturing investment and ensure that the UK assumes a leading position in the global advanced therapies space to equip manufacturers to supply patients with these cutting-edge medicines at scale.
There is an ongoing dialogue between the sector and the government on the pivotal role the life sciences sector has to play in the UK’s overarching Industrial Strategy. The Government has recognised the ambition within the sector, for the UK to become a global hub leading on research, development and manufacture of advanced therapies, seeing regenerative medicine as one of the eight great technologies. Securing these in the UK through future Industrial Strategy will support the UK’s agenda to drive productivity, exports and inward investment and help to capture the estimated over £300million worth of business available.
The action plan’s recommendations, which are the result of collaboration within the industrial and ministerial taskforce, are that we seek to:
- Secure an internationally competitive fiscal landscape to attract investment
- Capture investments through a proactive and targeted marketing approach and simplify the process of engagement between investors and Government
- Set out an end-to-end talent management plan to secure the relevant skills for emerging manufacturing technologies
- Clearly set out a swift, predictable and viable route to market for these innovative products and give industry confidence the UK is a progressive global hub
- Develop a long-term regulatory strategy and plan for the MHRA to lead in global standards, supporting the scientific activities and international outreach of NIBSC
- Capture internationally mobile investment through capacity and capability growth in the UK
The report comes at an opportune time with development of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Jo Johnson MP, said: “The report comes at an opportune time with development of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. This is a critical part of the Prime Minister’s ambition to build an economy that works for everyone. The strategy will set out how we will boost productivity, create good jobs, and ensure sustainable economic growth. Life Sciences, and within that, Advanced Therapies – hold great potential for the UK to develop new sources of economic competitiveness. The report provides a valuable input as we develop the Industrial Strategy. I welcome continued commitment and engagement from your industry.”
SVP North America, Japan & Global Pharma Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Ian McCubbin, said: "The life sciences have always been strong in the UK and, as the Government sets out its forthcoming Industrial Strategy, we recommend that it proactively targets future areas of growth – advanced therapies manufacturing being one of these areas. The UK needs to act with urgency and differentiate itself as a global destination for advanced therapies development and manufacturing and set the sustainable foundations for this emergent sector to take root and grow.”
