Patients in England are set to receive new medicines up to six months earlier, thanks to a new joint initiative between the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Under the 10-Year Health Plan, the two agencies have launched a coordinated service that allows pharmaceutical companies to register early for parallel licensing and value assessment. This means that medicines can be approved for NHS use at the same time they are licensed for the UK market.
The initiative is part of the government’s wider industrial strategy, which aims to deliver smarter regulation and reduce administrative costs for businesses by 25%.
The new service offers developers:
- Integrated advice from both NICE and MHRA
- A streamlined pathway for regulatory and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) requirements
- A clearer route to NHS adoption
MHRA Chief Executive Lawrence Tallon commented:
“We are completely focused on making sure patients can benefit from safe, effective and affordable medicines and treatments as soon as possible.
“We are working in closer partnership with NICE to build a faster and more efficient regulatory system, designed to accelerate UK market entry and deliver innovative, life-changing treatments to NHS patients faster.
“This marks an important step in delivering smarter regulation – strengthening UK’s global life sciences offer and reinforcing our position as an attractive destination for innovation and international investment.”
To benefit, companies must register their products on UK PharmaScan, the national horizon scanning database, at least three years before expected marketing authorisation.
The move reflects growing recognition that early collaboration between regulators and assessors is key to unlocking faster access to life-changing therapies.
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