The Labour Party has unveiled its new Life Sciences sector plan which it claims will create thousands of jobs and inject growth into research and development investment.
The Party claims its plan will turbocharge pharmaceutical research and development in Britain as it unveils its new plan for the life sciences sector, which could increase research & development (R&D) investment in the pharmaceutical sector by £10bn a year.
The announcement comes ahead of 400 senior business leaders, including those such as Astrazeneca, GSK, Moderna and Bayer, gathering for Labour’s largest ever Business Conference, with guests being addressed by Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and Jonathan Reynolds.
Supporting the Life Sciences Sector
Launching the sector plan at Bioscience Catalyst’s laboratory in Stevenage, Labour’s Shadow Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary and Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary declared that the NHS should be ‘an engine for innovation for our country’ and ‘the latest wave of technology can transform how medical treatments are discovered and delivered’.
Announcing the plan, Peter Kyle MP, Shadow Science and Innovation Secretary stated “The last Labour government laid the foundations for our life science success, and the next Labour government will go further. This plan is our commitment to grow the sector to it’s full potential. If we get this right, we can transform the NHS so that it becomes an engine of innovation, a driver of growth and a public service that once again delivers world class outcomes for patients. Labour will work hand in glove with life sciences companies to tackle the biggest killers, reduce the number of lives lost to heart disease, stroke and cancer and create thousands of new jobs across the country”.
Furthermore, Wes Streeting, Shadow Health Secretary said “The life sciences are key to our mission for an NHS fit for the future and pioneering breakthroughs that will transform and extend lives for the better. When Covid-19 struck, we saw industry, academia and Government come together to develop, test and rollout a life-saving vaccination that gave people back their lives, livelihoods and liberties. This plan will ensure that NHS patients get better care and that more life-saving medicines are developed right here in the UK to help people live better lives”.
A Commitment to Certainty and Stability
Under the Conservatives, Labour claims that the Life Sciences sector has declined, stating that UK shares of global exports are down from 9% to 4%. Moreover, the share of global pharmaceutical R&D has reportedly fallen from 7.2% to 3.2% between 2012 and 2020. The Party argues that if Labour’s ambitions to restore the UK’s share of global life sciences R&D to 2012 levels is realised, this could increase investment in the pharmaceutical sector by £10bn annually.
In addition, the Labour Party asserts that the UK fell from 4th in the world to 10th for phase III industry clinical trials between 2017 and 2022. To boost participation and help find new medicines and treatments for diseases like cancer and Alzheimers, Labour would establish standing national registries for clinical trials, making data-enabled recruitment through the NHS app possible.
Labour says it is committed to applying principles of certainty and stability to its support for investment in innovation, including by maintaining the patent box regime and the current structure of the R&D tax credits. The Party’s sector plan claims to ensure the NHS is supporting innovation to improve patient outcomes, and working with industry to set out the technologies and disease areas for which the UK should aim to be a frontier market; these could include cell and gene therapy, mRNA vaccines, and the use of AI in life sciences and healthcare.
The Party’s plan also promises that a Labour Government would ensure most spinouts are able to scale up in the UK, working with the UK’s world-leading universities to develop ‘Founder-track’ options for spinouts, where they can retain a greater share of equity.
Labour states it will take advantage of the Office for Life Sciences which sits across the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Department of Health and Social Care. Given the importance of life sciences for achieving Labour’s mission for an NHS fit for the future, ministerial ownership within the Department of Health and Social Care will be the responsibility of the Secretary of State, who will work with DSIT ministers to empower the Office for Life Sciences.
Responses
An AstraZeneca spokesperson said “Patients in the UK rely on a vibrant and successful life sciences community. It is crucial that we all work together to nurture this dynamic sector by tackling present challenges and building on the UK’s established strengths, which this plan seeks to address. This includes ensuring that NHS patients have equitable access to the latest medical innovations, creating a competitive environment for investment, and increasing support for science and research. AstraZeneca is a significant investor in the UK’s life sciences ecosystem and is eager to work alongside our partners to deliver its full growth potential.”
A GSK spokesperson said “It’s good to see Labour’s life sciences plan recognise the opportunities and competitive advantage the UK has in life sciences. It’s critical that we continue to build on these strengths so we can deliver the future productivity, growth and jobs we need, and bring the new ways of preventing and treating disease that patients want. It’s up to all of us to deliver this in partnership.”
Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said “This strategy reflects the extensive and thoughtful engagement with stakeholders that the Labour Party has undertaken. With its focus on the long term, practical measures to boost investment in research, and the emphasis on quality data to underpin future strategy, this plan will help our industry to deliver the cutting-edge treatments NHS patients need and deserve and help the UK to better compete on the global stage.”
Darius Hughes, UK General Manager at Moderna, said “Moderna welcomes the Labour Party’s plans to support the life sciences sector. We believe that through a programme of close collaboration between government, industry, and academia, we can create a thriving ecosystem that not only fosters innovation but accelerates the delivery of healthcare solutions to patients nationwide.”
Hugo Breda, Johnson & Johnson MedTech UK and Ireland, said “We have welcomed the publication of Labour’s plan for the life science sector and the emphasis that they have placed on this sector as a key area of innovation for delivery of better healthcare and strong economic growth. We believe that whatever government is elected this year, it has a unique opportunity to create better patient outcomes as well as a more sustainable environment for the industry, supporting both the health and wealth of the UK.”
Professor Dame Sally Davies, Master of Trinity College Cambridge, said “Life Sciences, from basic, through development to manufacturing play a central role in our UK economy. So, I very much welcome the new Labour Party Strategy for growth, which continues cross party support and underlines the importance of delivery, including of the O’Shaughnessy report.”
Michelle Mitchell OBE, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said “We welcome Labour’s Life Sciences Strategy and its recognition of the importance of clinical research to the UK. Cutting red tape will help get more trials up and running, get more patients joining trials and make faster progress towards new treatments. But we need to see more staff time dedicated to research within the NHS, so patients can benefit earlier from promising new treatments”.
Curia’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy for a New Government
Curia’s Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group is hosting a pre-meeting supported by the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission and led by commissioners including former Health Minister Ann Keen, former Deputy National Medical Director at NHS England, Professor Mike Bewick, and former Chief Executive of NICE, Professor Gillian Leng CBE.
This is a kick off meeting for the inquiry programme surrounding the creation of a Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, to support the work of a new UK government after the next General Election, where we will be joined by experts across the Life Sciences industry.
This is the first and only public session of our Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Programme, which runs through to March. In order to join our later inquiries, you must join as a member of the Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group. Contact Curia CEO, Ben Howlett, at ben.howlett@curiauk.com for more information.
Register here
