UK patients to receive medicines 3-6 months faster under new health plan
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Wednesday (6 August) confirmed that the 10-Year Health Plan will lead to faster medicines access for patients in the NHS in England.
Under a joint information-sharing agreement, pharmaceutical companies will be invited to register early with both agencies to allow parallel decision-making over licensing and value.
It will mean more medicines receive approval for use on the NHS in England at the same time as they are licensed for use in the UK. It’s anticipated that patients in England will receive the newest medicines three to six months earlier as a result.
The enhanced coordinated approach offers medicine developers an integrated advice service and an aligned pathway to help them streamline both regulatory and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) requirements and provides a clearer route to help get their treatments to patients.
To benefit from this service, companies should register their products on UK PharmaScan, the national horizon scanning database, at least three years before their expected marketing authorisation.
“This government is slashing red tape and turbocharging economic growth of the life sciences sector so patients can get the innovative treatments they need, faster,” said Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting.
“To save our NHS and make it fit for the future, we have to do things differently. By having two of our most important regulators join force,s we’ll rapidly remove barriers, get patients access to vital medicines, and grow the economy.
“With a technological and life sciences revolution taking place, Britain should be at the forefront of it. Our 10-Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan will help us drive the breakthroughs we need to be best in class and boost growth across the country,” he said.
