New UK report finds divide between personalized medicines R&D and regulatory environment

Over half of the active products in the global industry research pipeline are personalized medicines but the UK health care system is at risk of failing to adapt to this new challenge, claims a new report by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

The discussion paper, Securing a Future for Innovative Medicines, highlights the emergence of specialized medicines as a key challenge for the UK pharmaceutical industry and says that for the commercial environment in the UK to respond to this challenge there needs to be a fundamental shift in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) approaches. It points out that changes are occurring in the UK and at a European level, in the form of pioneering joint-working initiatives involving NHS and industry. The report also points to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE’s) Highly Specialized Technology (HST) program which has the potential to make a big difference to how specialized medicines for very rare diseases are evaluated.

Improved clinical trial enrollment