Drug firms warn UK ‘slipping behind’ on medicines uptake

The UK underperforms in giving patients access to new medicines when compared with other nations, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has said.

The trade association was responding to the Life Science Competitiveness Indicators report, published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 26 March. For the first time, the report included the use of medicines in the NHS as a major indicator of the UK’s performance in the sector.

ABPI executive director Alison Clough said that the fact that uptake of new medicines approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence was only 11 percent of the average of other developed countries after one year [post approval], less than a third of the average after two years, and still only half the average after four years highlighted that access to new medicines remained an issue in the UK.