Biomedical Catalyst Funding - £180m funding to develop solutions to healthcare challenges

Healthcare leaders from across the UK have today published a new set of guidelines to promote positive collaboration between health organisations and the pharmaceutical industry and help guide their working practices and interaction.  The statement of best practice was signed by 18 healthcare organisations, including the Department of Health, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.

BIVDA welcomes the inclusion of the Life Sciences sector as one of Britain’s ‘successful industries’ and welcomes recommitment to funding the sector.

Last week the Human Genomics Strategy Group (HGSG) launched their report Building on our inheritance: genomic technology in healthcare.
BIVDA welcome this report as a comprehensive and thoughtful overview of genomic medicine but BIVDA still questions why genetic or genomic tests should be singled out as being different to any other diagnostic test. BIVDA’s Chief Executive, Doris-Ann Williams said ”there is a tendency for the public to worry about anything related to genetics and where tests are concerned the same issues apply equally to non-genetic/genomic tests; it is a question of the level of importance to health relating to the information the test provides”.

Read the rest of BIVDA's statement here;

Endometriosis UK has launched an online petition for the need for investment in Early Diagnosis across all disease areas. This is to ensure that UK Parliament prioritises the investment into the infrastructure and pathway from early diagnosis to treatment to ensure patient outcomes are improved.

Key measures announced today to boost the UK’s life sciences sector will help deliver more effective and accurate diagnostics tests leading to significant benefits to patients and the NHS.

As a leader in healthcare innovation and an essential part of the UK life sciences sector, the in vitrodiagnostics (IVD) industry sees the launch of the Government’s UK Strategy on Life Sciences and NHS Chief Executive Innovation Review as an opportunity to deliver real change 

Italian MEP Amalia Sartori has voiced "dismay" at the lack of investment in the diagnostics industry. She said she was "dismayed" that less than one per cent of European healthcare expenditure is allocated to in-vitro diagnostics (IVD).Speaking at an event organised by the European diagnostic manufacturers association (EDMA), she said, "Everyone would agree that this is disappointing.

The Prime Minister's announcement today that he is minded to appoint a Minister for Life Sciences in the next Parliament is to be applauded and is welcomed by the UK's four life sciences trade associations - the Association for the British Healthcare Industry, the Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the BioIndustry Association and the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association.

The £115 one-hour test – which involves wearing a special tampon – can be carried out at home, with the results posted to a lab for analysis.