New government funding will help make some of the UK’s boldest ideas in life sciences a reality, from putting robots in factories to make medicines to turning spent nuclear fuel into next-generation cancer treatments.
All of these innovative technologies are set to get a boost thanks to more than £74 million of government and industry support for UK life sciences innovators.
The Government is currently funding eight innovative research and development projects with more than £54 million through the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme. The program is a joint government and industry initiative, funded through the VPAG investment program and backed by over £20m of additional industry support.
British life science benefits
The UK’s life sciences sector is a force for profit and growth, generating sales of £150bn a year.
UK life sciences innovators are transforming what is possible in healthcare, as today’s funding highlights.
This includes uncovering new ways to tackle the scourge of antibiotic-resistant infections, which are directly responsible for more than a million deaths a year, and finding ways to recycle anesthetic gases, which could save the NHS around £5m a year and reduce its impact on the environment.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “The life sciences sector is at the heart of our industrial strategy for good reason – it has an annual turnover of over £150 billion, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and attracts investment.”
“Its success is critical to the economic growth needed to fulfill the government’s mission of national renewal.”
Cutting-edge technology that drives economic growth
Innovate UK supports efforts to make pharmaceutical production greener and more efficient by funding cutting-edge life sciences.
The work will include looking at how anesthetic gases can be recycled and reused, as well as exploring the potential of repurposing spent fuel from UK nuclear power plants into next-generation cancer treatments. In addition, efforts will be made to reduce waste in pharmaceutical production by using AI and robotics technology at UK factories.
Meanwhile, the MHRA has been awarded almost £1 million in funding from the Engineering Biology Sandbox Fund for its work to address regulatory challenges around ‘engineered bacteriophage products’. Specially engineered bacteriophages may provide a solution to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The work of the MHRA and its partners across five regulatory bodies, in collaboration with the UK Health and Safety Authority (UKHSA), will ensure that regulation in this important area is fit for purpose and does not become a barrier to safe innovation.
London Life Sciences Week: Pioneering biopharmaceuticals and medical technologies
The ground-breaking funding comes as Ministers welcome leaders from the life sciences sector, the investor community and the UK healthcare system to Downing Street to mark London Life Sciences Week, which brings investors, researchers, policymakers and business leaders from across the sector to the capital.
The UK life sciences sector supports more than 300,000 jobs across the country and is the foundation of the UK’s health and wellbeing.
The Industrial Strategy has identified it as one of eight key sectors driving growth over the next decade.
“We are determined to make the UK a life sciences superpower, which is why we are one of the eight priority sectors in the Modern Industrial Strategy, so we can build on our strengths and stay at the forefront of innovation,” Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle explained.
He added: “The UK’s life sciences sector is one of our greatest national assets, driving breakthrough progress that saves lives, creates highly skilled jobs and attracts world-class investment.
“Today’s funding demonstrates our commitment to backing the boldest ideas and helping to deliver the government’s focus on economic growth and national regeneration.”
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