Lord Prior of Brampton has met with leaders from the UK's pharmaceutical industry to discuss the development of the Industrial Strategy for Life Sciences, at AstraZeneca’s pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Macclesfield.
Lord Prior, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), addressed a gathering of more than 100 of the UK’s leading medicines manufacturers at the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) conference.
The Industrial Strategy for Life Sciences is one of five new early sector deals to support the industries of the future in which Britain has potential.
The medicines manufacturing industry can play a crucial role in solving our country's productivity puzzle.
Andy Evans, Chair of MMIP and Head of Macclesfield site, said there are opportunities in the emerging area of Advanced Therapy Manufacturing “to revolutionise medicines manufacture.”
"With a gross value added (GVA) more than three times the UK average, the medicines manufacturing industry can play a crucial role in solving our country's productivity puzzle,” he said.
Mike Thompson, CEO, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said:
“By earmarking £270m through the 'Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund', the government has made a critical first step towards supporting research in the field of new medicines manufacturing technologies.”
"The next generation of medicines, including cell and gene therapies, are on our doorstep. We now we need the NHS and the UK government to embrace this innovation.”
