New Accelerated Access Collaborative Chair Enthuses over Fast Track Medicines
Lord Ara Darzi, the new Chair of the Accelerated Access Collaborative, is enthusiastically looking forward to the opportunities for fast track medicines and medical technologies from the scheme.
Lord Darzi was appointed after Sir Andrew Witty, the previous Chair, had to resign in March to avoid any potential conflict of interest after taking up a new role as CEO of Optum.
The Collaborative is a joint government and industry initiative that brings together leaders from the NHS, industry and government to identify transformative innovations to allow them to be accelerated through clinical development and NHS approval processes to be available on the NHS up to four years earlier than they would otherwise have been. They are particularly directed at conditions such as cancer, diabetes and dementia.
Lord Darzi said: "Britain is world leading in medical science and research, but we need to make sure that people in the UK are able to reap the benefits of this innovation. It is vitally important that patients have rapid access to cost-effective, transformative treatments on the NHS. Doing so will not only improve the health of our patients, but will promote future collaboration between the life sciences sector and the NHS post-Brexit - benefiting the British economy and creating jobs."
Comment
The Accelerated Access Collaborative is a key plank of the Government's support for life sciences, and was specifically highlighted within the Government's Life Sciences Sector Deal in 2017. Whilst some critics have pointed to the £86m on offer to help to fund innovators as being nowhere near enough, the warm words from Lord Darzi to support early innovation within the NHS are encouraging. The jury is still out as to whether the actions will match the words. Let's hope so.