17.09.19
Birmingham tackling its biggest health challenges with new partnership
A new collaboration plans to speed up and improve research in the four main health challenges faced by the West Midlands, using real-time clinical trials and health data.
This will include improvements to cancer care, maternity services, child health, obesity, and dementia.
Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) are set to collaborate with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and its members with a view to put Birmingham at the forefront of developing precision medicines based on varying factors including environmental, lifestyle and genetic.
The two health-industry giants will collaborate to create the Birmingham Health Partners & Industry Steering Group (BHPISG).
The partnership aims to make the best use of Birmingham’s strengths in data and digitalisation with the adoption of data-enabled innovation, genomic medicine and clinical trials.
The West Midland area is already making waves in competitive health and care infrastructure, with BHP working on a pioneering system that unites multidisciplinary clinical-academic teams in order to maximise success of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy.
The four challenges to be worked on by the new collaboration are improving cancer outcomes, addressing maternal and paediatric health, tackling multimorbidity in an ageing population and improving NHS care by matching patient results with ongoing research.
These four areas were hand-picked for their national or international relevance and provide an unmissable opportunity to be applied on a bigger scale if successful.
Mike Thompson, chief executive of the ABPI and co-chair of BHPISG, hopes that each one will build on the regions assets and know-how and give BHPISG the best possible chance of a positive economic impact.
Thompson said: “This partnership will accelerate cutting-edge research in Birmingham and help the NHS tackle some of the West Midlands’ most pressing health challenges.
“We’re playing to our strengths: linking state-of-the-art science from pharmaceutical companies with Birmingham’s internationally recognised data and genomics infrastructure.”
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said the region is the perfect location for the partnership.
“With a diverse population of nearly six million citizens, the West Midlands is the ideal place to develop and test new innovations in healthcare, such as precision medicines tailored to individual patient needs.”