Pharma responds to 2024 UK General Election

Following the Labour Party’s win yesterday in the UK 2024 General Election, industry representatives have voiced their opinions on what this could mean for the future of the pharmaceutical industry under the new government.

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)

“During its campaign, Labour was right to single out the UK’s life sciences sector as a critical partner for their plans to deliver positive change and economic growth. A strong industry-government partnership will be vital to ensure that we continue to discover breakthrough medical innovation in the UK.

“The new government now needs to hit the ground running and rapidly set out a clear, detailed plan for what the government will do in the coming weeks and years to address persistent inequalities in access to medicines and vaccines as well as unlock our sector’s true growth potential,” commented Richard Torbett, Chief Executive, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

In a statement issued by the ABPI last month, the industry body urged the next UK government to “provide its pharmaceutical sector with key tools to boost the country’s economy”. This follows publication of its Manifesto, which detailed recommendations such as increasing patient access to new treatments through clinical trials and enhancing the pharmaceutical manufacturing in the UK.

Drug Research Safety Unit (DRSU) for Pharmacovigilance Sciences

Medicine safety under the new UK government

Professor Saad Shakir, Director of the DRSU, an independent group focused on pharmacovigilance in the UK shared: “We must collaborate with our colleagues in the EU who want to work with us to monitor, assess and prevent adverse events from medicines and vaccines if we are going to have robust regulations on drug safety.

“I welcome the new Labour government and urge them to start conversations with EU representatives to ensure that we collaborate with our colleagues in the EU in developing drug safety guidelines and regulations and making pharmacovigilance decisions that protect the public. EU pharmacovigilance is stronger with the UK, and UK research is stronger with the EU.”