RE: UK Gov 100 Day Mission Update10 Aug 2023 08:41
Very interesting, thanks for posting. Diagnostics and bio markers mentioned too…
…
Domestic examples of DTV initiatives
The UK supports efforts to provide timely, safe and effective DTVs within 100 days through strengthening domestic capabilities, global contributions, partnerships and investments in research and development.
This includes successful contributions to the development and evaluation of DTVs for a range of pathogens through ongoing research and collaboration with global partners and support for product development partnerships (PDPs).
Funding initiatives such as the Health Technology Regulatory and Innovation Programme, a £7 million fund to help UK HealthTech small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with regulation. The fund is a joint initiative between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI).
There are over £500 million private sector investments, including expansion at:
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (Billingham)
ThermoFisher Scientific (Swindon)
Wockhardt (Wrexham)
Oxford Biomedical (Harwell)
UKHSA’s creation of its own Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC) to support the development and laboratory (in vivo and in vitro) evaluation of new vaccines and vaccine technologies is part of pandemic preparedness efforts. VDEC secures the legacy from the COVID-19 pandemic and brings together UKHSA’s laboratory-based activity, expertise and leadership in vaccine discovery, development and evaluation, as well as applying UKHSA’s expertise in partnership with industry and academia.
UKHSA is also continuing work to identify diagnostic requirements for each pathogen group and advancing diagnostic development activity. To minimise duplication and ensure a consistent approach, UKHSA is engaging with organisations such as the Foundation for Innovative Diagnostics (FIND) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Industry and academia are essential to the UK’s ability to explore and develop DTVs. The UK government actively supports programmes to maintain working partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry, university research bodies and health protection research bodies, allowing DTVs to be explored pre-emptively and proactively during non-emergency times and made available rapidly during a pandemic.
For example, the UK’s 10-year strategic partnership with Moderna was announced in December 2022. The 3 connected strands of the deal cover:
the building of a UK manufacturing facility, biomarker laboratory and supply of mRNA vaccines to the UK
substantial investment in mRNA research and development
the capability to scale up and respond in the event of a future pandemic