01.06.16
For the future of pharma, vote Remain
Mike Thompson, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), argues ahead of the Referendum that the success of the UK pharmaceutical industry relies on our continued involvement in European Union.
With less than a month to go until the EU Referendum, it would be a fair observation to say both sides of the debate have fought ever ferociously to sway the British electorate on what is the single biggest issue that will define our political, economic and social landscape now, and for future generations.
However, despite a divided debate, the politics of our relationship with Europe have long been decided: the UK has no longing for ever greater union and no desire to participate in a single European currency. What’s more, both of these principles have been safeguarded by the deal David Cameron has brought to the UK public.
Yet, what has increasingly motivated the man and woman on the street, and politicians in this campaign, are real issues that matter to real people. From pensions to mortgages, from job security to national security, these are the issues that resound in the ballot box, and there rightly comes a time to focus minds on how leaving the EU may affect the health and wealth of the nation.
The pharmaceutical industry sees itself as a vital partner with colleagues at the NHS. With so many urgent priorities for NHS leaders and frontline staff, we must now meet the health service halfway to embed innovation and its uptake, and recognise the role we must play in assisting to deliver the Five Year Forward View.
It’s notable that on the value and benefit of European collaboration, our industry and the NHS have long been aligned – and it is without doubt that a vote to leave would have a damaging and lasting impact on all partners with a stake in our national health service.
For the pharmaceutical industry, our argument to remain is fourfold.
Continuing to operate within an established and harmonised regulatory approval system is one aspect, and is vital to the future success of our industry and to the stability of the NHS. As it currently stands, with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), our members have a one-stop shop for centralised licencing of new medicines and treatments across Europe. Operating outside of this system, the NHS would face delays in accessing much needed medical innovation as companies prioritise single-point European regulatory approval in order to reach larger patient populations.
Secondly, maintaining a structure where we can access a global pool of talent, the biggest of which allows free movement of that talent across EU member states, is essential. Both in sourcing the skills required to deliver frontline services, as well as in obtaining the innovative brilliance demanded at the forefront of science and innovation. Employers in industry, the NHS and academia would all suffer a talent drain from leaving Europe.
Thirdly, reformed EU clinical trial regulations are set to create a centralised gateway for clinical trial applications, and once introduced will help maintain the UK’s enviable position as one of the premier European destinations for groundbreaking research. Brexit would not just restrict patient access to the frontline of medical innovation, but also negatively influence the economic growth of the NHS that currently benefits through existing investment in clinical research by industry.
Finally, from new treatments to cure hepatitis C, to revolutionary immunotherapies for cancer patients and novel therapies – which, for the first time, will improve the lives of people with rare genetic conditions – innovation reaching the market in the last few years has been greatly enabled by reaping the rewards of European Union funding for science, research and innovation. With many more potentially 'transformative' drugs in the pipeline, opting out of a system that works to incentivise the creation and development of new medicines would create a funding gap that would need to be filled in order for the UK to continue to punch above its weight globally in all areas of research and development.
Ultimately, the UK pharmaceutical industry wants to work with NHS leaders to provide value as a strategic partner and work together to deliver a world-leading health powerhouse. Whilst the industry is committed to investing in research and delivering new medicines for patients regardless of the outcome on 23 June, only by voting to stay in Europe can we ensure UK patients continue to get the best possible opportunity to receive the right medicines, at the right time.