PFIZER RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT’S LIFE SCIENCES STRATEGY & THE NICHOLSON REVIEW ON INNOVATION

Pfizer welcomes the positive measures announced today in the Life Sciences Strategy and the Nicholson Review on Innovation.

The Life Sciences Industry has a crucial role to play in delivering innovation, improving patient access and outcomes, and driving long term economic growth in the UK.

The recommendations, if adopted and implemented fully, will mean that patients will benefit from greater access to the latest innovative treatments. 

The establishment of the NICE Implementation Collaborative (NIC) to support faster implementation of NICE guidance and the automatic inclusion of NICE recommended treatments on formulary will mean that clinicians can prescribe the right medicine for the right patient.

Boosting patient involvement in clinical trials allows patients to benefit earlier from promising access to treatments, whilst also improving knowledge about how the medicines work. This in turn creates a more favourable environment for UK-based research. 

Government investments to support both fundamental and translational science are positive. Today’s announcements should encourage new research collaborations and partnerships with academic institutions in the future, and there will be new ways for industry to work with the UK biomedical community.   

The Life Sciences Strategy and the Innovation Review sends a clear positive signal on making the UK a leader in this sector. However, effective and rapid implementation is essential to success. Government, the NHS and industry must work together to make these aspirations a reality for patients and the UK life sciences industry.