Patients to receive medicines 3 to 6 months faster under 10-Year Health Plan
NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have described how the 10-Year Health Plan will lead to faster medicines access for patients in the NHS in England.
Under a joint information sharing agreement, pharmaceutical companies will be invited to register early with both agencies to allow parallel decision making over licencing and value. It will mean more medicines receive approval for use on the NHS in England at the same time as they are licensed for use in the UK. It’s anticipated that patients in England will receive the newest medicines 3-6 months earlier as a result.
Part of the 10-Year Health Plan and industrial strategy, the new joint service reflects the government’s commitment to smarter regulation, with a target to cut administrative costs for businesses by 25%.
The enhanced coordinated approach offers medicine developers an integrated advice service and an aligned pathway to help them streamline both regulatory and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) requirements and provides a clearer route to help get their treatments to patients.
To benefit from this service, companies should register their products on UK PharmaScan, the national horizon scanning database, at least three years before their expected marketing authorisation.
This government is slashing red tape and turbocharging economic growth of the life sciences sector so patients can get the innovative treatments they need, faster.This government is slashing red tape and turbocharging economic growth of the life sciences sector so patients can get the innovative treatments they need, faster.
Mr Streeting continued: "To save our NHS and make it fit for the future we have to do things differently. By having two of our most important regulators join forces we’ll rapidly remove barriers, get patients access to vital medicines, and grow the economy. With a technological and life sciences revolution taking place, Britain should be at the forefront of it. Our 10 Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan will help us drive the breakthroughs we need to be best in class and boost growth across the country.”
We are completely focused on making sure patients can benefit from safe, effective and affordable medicines and treatments as soon as possible.
Lawrence continued: “We are working in closer partnership with NICE to build a faster and more efficient regulatory system, designed to accelerate UK market entry and deliver innovative, life-changing treatments to NHS patients faster.
“This marks an important step in delivering smarter regulation – strengthening UK’s global life sciences offer and reinforcing our position as an attractive destination for innovation and international investment.”
Patients in England are already receiving medicines much earlier as NICE is evaluating treatments faster than ever before. In the year to March the time between licence and guidance was cut by 26% and when companies work with us to reduce timelines NICE guidance is published on average just 48 days after licence.
Sam continued: “This joint working with our partners at the MHRA will allow us to accelerate medicines into the NHS even further to help transform the health of the nation, alleviate pressure on the service where possible and support a thriving life sciences sector in this country.”
Mark Samuels, Chief Executive of Medicines UK, said: “This new joint approach between NICE and the MHRA is very welcome, particularly in supporting the earlier launch of new biosimilar medicines, which means more patients can be treated sooner. Streamlining market entry will further enhance the UK's attractiveness as a first-choice country for introducing new medicines.”
Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “We welcome this initiative, which represents one of many necessary improvements in the UK health and life sciences ecosystem. Streamlining approval processes will allow both agencies to give patients earlier and equitable access to the innovative medicines needed to improve UK health outcomes."
We look forward to continued progress in other areas to enable the life sciences sector to fulfil its growth potential for the benefit of patients, the NHS and the economy.