After a busy first two months in post this summer, I am very positive about the energy and pace of progress of what we are doing in the UK. The UK has a fantastically vibrant life sciences sector, and world leading scientists and entrepreneurs at the cutting edge of 21st century health technology.  I am very pleased to have had the chance to meet a number of you, to see real examples of NHS innovations and to get out to the front line, visiting for example:

• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
• Addenbrookes Hospital
• The Francis Crick Institute
• Edinburgh BioQuarter
• The Northern Health Science Alliance in Manchester.

What has been most notable is the enthusiasm I have encountered on these visits, and the backing you have given me to take the Life Sciences Strategy forward and build on what we’ve already achieved. You will see in this month’s newsletter an interesting selection of news, such as the first drug to be designated under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme and the formal establishment of the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership. I am very focussed on the need for further action to boost the sector, and am developing proposals for accelerating the adoption of 21st century healthcare innovation which is so key to a vibrant 21st century Life Science innovation economy. I hope to share some of these with you in forthcoming communications.

DCVax-L, an innovative cell therapy for cancer, has become the first medicine to be designated as ‘promising’ as part of a new government scheme aimed at getting new medicines to patients more quickly. PIM designation is the initial step in the Early Access to Medicines Scheme which aims to increase patient access to medicines where there is an unmet medical need. DCLax-L, developed by US-based pharmaceutical company Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc, is the first medicine to be awarded this new designation. Read more here.

A new Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) jointly established by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the BioIndustry Association (BIA) met for the first time in September. This partnership will bring together companies developing advanced therapies and biopharmaceutical products to work towards a common goal of creating an attractive and innovation-driven environment to ensure UK competitiveness in medicines manufacturing. Organisations involved in the partnership include Actavis, AstraZeneca, Eisai, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, GlaxoSmithKline, the Knowledge Transfer Network, Oxford BioMedica and Pfizer. Read more here.

Over the past year, the Life Sciences Organisation has worked to develop and land a pipeline of inward investment projects and trade wins for the UK.  It has brought foreign direct investment to the UK from R&D and clinical development to commercial and manufacturing operations, landing 156 inward investment wins totalling almost £1 billion in recorded investment and creating 4,500 jobs.
Highlights of recent investment wins include the launch of Tokyo Electron’s open innovation centre at Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst focused on Smart Cell Processing Technologies, work over the past year with Genomics England on industry engagement in the UK’s 100,000 genomes project and the recently announced £162 million investment by Illumina.

Since it was set up in 2010, the Cancer Drugs Fund has helped more than 55,000 patients with cancer to access drugs that would not otherwise have been available from the NHS.  On 28 August, the Government announced that the Cancer Drugs Fund would increase from £200 million to £280 million a year for 2014/15 and 2015/16. This additional £80 million a year means that many more patients with cancer will benefit from life-extending or life-enhancing drugs recommended by their doctors.

On 18 August the Minister for Life Sciences visited the Edinburgh BioQuarter and Roslin Institute - part of the thriving Scottish life sciences sector. The visit included a tour of facilities including the Farr Institute and the Scottish Centre of Regenerative Medicine.  The Minister also met with a group of Scottish life sciences investors which provided a good opportunity to discuss the strengths of the sector as well some of the challenges it faces.

At the end of September, Pfizer began operating its rare diseases research unit out of London as well as Boston. Its first task was to hold the inaugural symposium of the Rare Disease Consortium, a collaboration with six UK universities – Cambridge University, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Queen Mary University London, University College London, and Oxford University. This consortium represents a novel mechanism for industry to partner with the UK research base and pursue innovative therapies in areas of unmet need. Scientists from these universities will work alongside Pfizer scientists on a series of funded projects to accelerate the translation of basic science into a new generation of medicines for the treatment of rare, but debilitating and life threatening conditions.

A survey conducted by Ipsos MORI for BIS shows that 68% of the British public accept the use of animals in research for medical purposes where there are no alternatives – such as using computer modelling, in vitro testing or MRI scanning. It also identifies that the public are not as well informed as they could be about some aspects of animal research. For example, 31% of respondents believed that cosmetics testing on animals is still allowed in the UK (which has not been the case for 15 years) and only 7% said they knew about government work to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research. The full survey report can be viewed here.  The Government’s Delivery Plan sets out its commitment to using scientific advances to replace, reduce and refine animal use wherever possible.

On 10 September, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister for Life Sciences launched Citylabs in Manchester, and participated in a panel discussion focusing on how partnerships can drive innovation in health.  Citylabs is a collaboration between Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), with the University of Manchester.  MSP are also the new owner of Alderley Park following AstraZeneca’s relocation of research and development activities to Cambridge.

Life Sciences Hub Wales has been opened by Wales Economy Minister Edwina Hart. The Hub will bring together business, universities, and clinical and funding organisations, stimulating interaction, networking and innovation. It represents a major commitment by the Welsh Government to the life sciences sector. More information here.

Scotland’s Education Secretary Michael Russell has announced £14 million capital investment in Scotland’s Innovation Centres. The investment will further improve the links between education and industry, building on £110 million already committed to the sector. Developed in partnership with the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Innovation Centres are collaborations between universities, businesses and others to enhance innovation in and across Scotland’s key economic sectors.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has put out a call to engage engineering and physical sciences researchers with the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) challenge, and to develop networks within their institutions focussed on the four multidisciplinary themes in the cross-council AMR initiative. These networks will support people to build capacity and understanding which could lead to future research proposals. Closing date 11 November 2014. More information here.