UK government must wake up to clinical research slowdown, industry body warns
A slowdown in clinical research could hold Britain back in its bid to become a life sciences superpower, an industry body has warned.
In a letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said “alarm bells” should be ringing across the government, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
The letter highlighted the recent slump in UK clinical research activity and the failure of the Conservative Party to “make the UK the leading global hub for life sciences,” which it pledged to do in 2019.
Recent figures show the UK is now seventh in the world for late-stage clinical trials, falling from fifth place in 2017.
The ABPI, which represents firms such as Astrazenca and Glaxosmithkline, called on the pair to focus on life sciences, adding that “the response to the Covid-19 pandemic underlined just how important our life sciences sector is to the future of the UK, and that it will be just as central to the recovery of our economy and the NHS.”