E-drug: UK: Pharmaceutical competitiveness task force
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The UK's latest position on TRIPS drugs in the developing world
contained in this:
Wednesday 28th March 2001
PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
COMPETITIVENESS TASK FORCE
JOINTLY PUBLISHED WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF THE
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY (ABPI)
The Prime Minister today launched publication of the final Report of
the Task Force that has been looking at the competitiveness of the UK
based pharmaceutical industry.
Launching the report in the company of Task Force's joint chairs Tom
McKillop, CEO of AstraZeneca and Health Minister Lord Philip Hunt,
the Prime Minister said:
"The UK pharmaceutical industry is one of our most important and most
successful industries. Its products benefit people here and round
the world and it makes a substantial contribution to our economic
welfare.
"It is a truly global industry. Companies have a real choice about
where to invest. The UK cannot rest on its laurels. We have to ensure
the UK remains an attractive place for new investment. We set up the
Task Force to see what needed to be done and to take action to
maintain and develop the UK's competitive edge."
Thanking Mr McKillop and Lord Hunt for their work, the Prime Minister
added:
"The Task Force has done an excellent job. It shows what can be
achieved when we work together on issues - both between government
and industry and across government."
The report sets out action taken or in hand on a range of issues including :
Industry and Government agreed on the essential role that
intellectual property rights (IPR) and the TRIPs agreement play, and
should continue to play, in the flow of innovative medicines. One of
the most important outputs of the Task Force is the renewed
industry/Government partnership to work towards improving access to
medicines in developing countries.
Streamlining licensing procedures for essential research involving
animals has been agreed, cutting red tape and improving animal
welfare. This complements amendments to the Criminal Justice and
Police Bill and Malicious Communications Act to tackle harassment and
intimidation by animals rights campaigners.
A more forward looking strategic dialogue about developments in
healthcare and the market for medicines in the UK. For example,
Government and industry are engaged in comprehensive discussions
about how NICE operates, including its impact uptake of new
medicines, on the competitiveness of the industry, and on the economy
more generally. These discussions will inform a review of NICE,
including all stakeholders, to be held in July.
Involving the industry closely in the development of NHS services -
such as ensuring the NHS stays at the forefront of development of
modern treatments and research, better use of the NHS database for
pharmaceutical research and development, improving information to
patients, securing better patient involvement in taking medicines
and ways of enabling people to secure better access to those
medicines not available on the NHS.
Agreement that new policy measures should not be viewed in
isolation, but as part of the overall environment. The impact of new
policy directions on UK competitiveness ought to be considered with
the pharmaceutical industry prior to implementation.
Industry and government agreed positions on a range of medicines
policy issues under discussion in the European Union. The scope of
these has included aspects of how the EU medicines licensing system
might develop, issues around EU enlargement and some key matters of
IPR protection.
Indicators of performance and competitiveness have been agreed
which will allow government and industry to measure and monitor the
progress of the UK as a competitive location for pharmaceutical
investment.
Tom McKillop said:
"The UK Government has demonstrated its willingness to work with us
on ensuring the UK stays at the forefront of world pharmaceutical
industry competitiveness. We have made significant progress on many
issues.
"There is work still to be done on matters that affect the
competitiveness of the industry but there is a commitment from all of
us to maintain the high level of government/industry contact we have
enjoyed in the Task Force. This experience has shown us how much is
possible when there is commitment and goodwill on both sides."
Lord Hunt added:
"The Task Force has worked at the centre of a unique relationship
between industry and government. We purchase some #6 billion worth of
pharmaceuticals for the NHS each year, we regulate the industry as
part of a European licensing system for the safety, quality and
efficacy of its products and we support its significant contribution
to the UK economy.
"The Task Force has shown it is possible to reconcile these
interests in ways that are mutually beneficial to the industry, to
government, to the NHS and its patients and to the nation as a whole.
We have produced some important tangible outputs as well as
identifying areas where more work needs to be done. One of our most
important achievements therefore is agreement on a successful
mechanism to take forward the work and spirit of PICTF. We in the UK
will carry that spirit forward too in European discussions led by
Commissioners Liikanen and Byrne."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The Pharmaceutical Industry Competitiveness Task Force (PICTF)
was set up by the Prime Minister in March 2000 for the Government
and industry to work in partnership to see what action needs to be
taken to ensure the UK remains an attractive place for the
pharmaceutical industry to locate its business in an increasingly
competitive global environment.
2. European Commissioners Liikanen and Byrne have established a
small high-level group to look at a number of pharmaceutical
policy issues. The Group met for the first time on Monday March 26
in Brussels. Lord Hunt is a member of the group.
3. The Task Force members were:
Co-chairmen: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
(Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health)
and
Tom McKillop (AstraZeneca)
Lord Sainsbury of Turville
(Minister for Science and Innovation)
Baroness Blackstone
(Minister of State for Education and Employment)
Nick Raynsford MP (Minister for Housing and Planning)
Stephen Timms MP (Financial Secretary)
Nigel Crisp, Permanent Secretary/Chief Executive DH
Sir Richard Sykes (Glaxo Wellcome)
J-P Garnier (SmithKline Beecham)
Bill Fullager (ABPI President and Novartis)
Vincent Lawton (APG Chairman and MSD)
Trevor Jones (ABPI Director-General)
4. Copies of the final report are available on the website
http://www.doh.gov.uk/pictf.
5. For further information please call the Department of Health
Media Centre or the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry on 020 7747 1410.
[ENDS]
All the best
Anthony Cox
UK
Anthony Cox <RX@blacktriangle.org>
[Please always supply your affiliation and address. BS]
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