Taskforce aims to secure future of manufacturing advanced therapy medicines in UK
Will be co-chaired by Minister for Life Sciences George Freeman and GSK's Ian McCubbin
A new Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Taskforce has been launched by the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) to secure the future of manufacturing advanced therapies in the UK.
Co-chaired by Minister for Life Sciences George Freeman and Ian McCubbin, SVP North America, Japan & Global Pharma Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, the taskforce aims to identify opportunities and actions to anchor advanced therapy manufacturing and the associated supply chain in the UK and to identify any gaps in the manufacturing landscape.
It will complement the work of the Regenerative Medicine Expert Group (RMEG) that is developing an NHS regenerative medicine strategy so that the NHS is fully prepared to deliver these treatments.
The UK is a leader in the development of advanced therapies, having a strong research and academic infrastructure, wide-ranging support from medical charities, a well equipped manufacturing base that includes the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre, with London being home to both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
This group brings together key figures to take a comprehensive look at advanced therapy manufacturing in the UK
The UK’s manufacturing base includes 18 MHRA-licensed facilities for cell and gene therapy manufacture. The UK Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Manufacturing Centre, expected to open in 2017, will be used to manufacture late phase clinical trial and commercial supply of advanced therapies, complementing those early stage clinical phase manufacturing centres.
There is significant advanced therapy R&D activity in the UK and across Europe and the product pipeline is strong – indicated by the increasing volume of requests for scientific advice and classification from regulators, as well as the number of clinical trials being conducted.
McCubbin said: 'This group brings together key figures from across the industry, academic institutions, trade bodies and government departments to take a comprehensive look at advanced therapy manufacturing in the UK to ensure that the UK is a world leading commercial scale manufacturer of the next generation of medicines for the patients who need them.'
BIA Chief Executive, Steve Bates, added: 'It’s vital that the UK becomes not just a great laboratory for advanced therapies but a great place for them to be manufactured and commercialised. The MMIP taskforce will play a key role in ensuring that this leading sector of modern UK manufacturing continues to grow and produce these ground breaking therapies that will help to solve unmet patient needs both in the UK and its export markets.'
The secretariat for the taskforce will be led by Mark Bustard, Head of Medical Biotechnology at The Knowledge Transfer Network.