U.K. To Leverage NHS Data As Part Of Broader Stimulus Package, But Details Still Sketchy

Industry welcomed the initiatives, which included making National Health Service clinical data more widely available and strengthening NICE's role.

A flurry of reports from U.K. government departments, released early in December, marked the latest chapter in the nation’s bid to try to preserve what it sees as its leadership position in the European life sciences sector in the face of pharma R&D site closures and continued competition for investment from lower-cost countries.

The initiatives, which included making National Health Service clinical data more widely available and strengthening the role of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, were broadly welcomed by industry. A £180 million ($280 million) fund to support early-stage biotech companies was particularly commended.

But will these measures achieve their aim of making the U.K. a location of choice for R&D and investment? The sheer breadth of the programs, designed to tackle a range of weak spots within the life sciences eco-system, as well as provide fresh incentives to attract newcomers, suggests they might. Details are still in short supply, however, and some of the proposals – such as one that seeks to open up the vast data repository of the NHS – have attracted resistance.

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