UK govt aims to speed access to new medicines at 'crucial time' for dementia

A new report published by the UK government today, puts forward a number of recommendations aimed at speeding up the process by which the NHS implements newly developed drugs and medical procedures.

Dementia appears in the Accelerated Access Review: Final Report as a case study, given the likelihood of new treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s coming through final stage clinical testing in the coming years. The report highlights the work of Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in looking for an integrated solution to the drug development challenges in dementia.

The review recommends the creation of an Accelerated Access Partnership to speed up the translation of new treatments from the lab to patients. The report also highlights the need for simple processes for the development and implementation of digital technologies, such as healthcare apps, and suggests that a Strategic Commercial Unit be created within NHS England to work with innovators who are developing new medicines.