Medicines manufacturers welcome Life Sciences Industrial Strategy

Over the past months, MMIP have worked closely with Sir John and the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Board to ensure a robust and comprehensive Strategy that lays out what is required from early stage technology innovation through to building a globally competitive manufacturing capability in the UK.

The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy also builds on MMIP’s Technology and Innovation Roadmap, launched last week, and includes a number of MMIP's critical recommendations on how to grow the UK’s medicines manufacturing sector and deliver transformative medical innovations for patients.

MMIP has further welcomed the announcement of the government’s first wave of investment in Life Sciences with £146 million to be spread across 5 major projects supporting advanced therapies, advanced medicines and vaccines development and manufacturing. This has been spearheaded by Innovate UK’s launch of the first £15 million funding opportunities.

Commenting on the launch of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, Andy Evans, Chair of MMIP and Head of Macclesfield Site at AstraZeneca, said:

"These tangible commitments send a strong signal that the UK is open for business and an attractive destination for medicines development and manufacturing. We look forward to working with Government and other partners on the development of these projects as we aim to build confidence for global companies so that they continue to invest in the UK.

We hope that the second phase of the Government’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy investments maximise the benefits that the medicines manufacturing sector can bring to Britain. Investing in manufacturing centres for complex medicines and packaging technologies will deliver not just economic rewards but also health benefits, speeding up access to innovative and high quality medicines for patients and the NHS.”

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These tangible commitments send a strong signal that the UK is open for business and an attractive destination for medicines development and manufacturing. 

Andy Evans, Chair of MMIP and Head of Macclesfield Site at AstraZeneca

About the ABPI

The ABPI represents innovative resea​rch-based biopharmaceutical companies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new era of biosciences in the UK.

Our industry, a major contributor to the economy of the UK, brings life-saving and life-enhancing medicines to patients. We represent companies who supply more than 80 per cent of all branded medicines used by the NHS and who are researching and developing the majority of the current medicines pipeline, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of helping patients prevent and overcome disease.

Globally our industry is researching and developing more than 7,000 new medicines.

The ABPI is recognised by government as the industry body negotiating on behalf of the branded pharmaceutical industry for statutory consultation requirements including the pricing scheme for medicines in the UK.

About MMIP

The​ Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) represents the voice of medicines manufacturers in the UK. It was established jointly by Government and the biopharmaceutical industry in 2014 to ensure that the UK is recognised by the global medicines industry as a world-class, advanced centre for medicines manufacturing.

The UK's medicine industry is one of the country's leading manufacturing sectors, with exports worth over £20bn. The Partnership wants to ensure that the UK continues to be an attractive place for this high-value industry to secure exports, provide high skilled job opportunities and contribute to solving the country's productivity puzzle.​