ABPI says leaving the EU would threaten clinical trials

Published: 26-May-2016

The Association warns that UK patients could be denied access to medical innovations as a result


The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) warns that patients in the UK could miss out on ground-breaking clinical trials by voting to leave the EU.

It also warns that patients in the UK would be denied inclusion in a centralised gateway for clinical trial applications, which is due to be implemented as a result of reforms to EU clinical testing regulations, and so be denied access to the latest medical innovations if Britain left the EU.

The ABPI cites data published in 2015 and compiled by the Association and Thomson Reuters, which showed that the UK is the leading European country for phase one clinical trials, number two (behind Germany) for phase two clinical trials and third (behind Germany and Spain) for phase three clinical trials.

'The UK already has an enviable position as one of the go to destinations for clinical trials, but this legacy is now under threat,' says ABPI CEO Mike Thompson.

The ABPI also notes that the new European Union Clinical Trials Regulation, due to come into effect in 2018, will harmonise procedures for the assessment of applications for clinical trials, enhance collaboration between ethics committees, streamline safety-reporting procedures and increase transparency in trial results.

'We know the old Clinical Trials Directives did not function effectively – yet the new clinical trials system will cut the bureaucracy of the old directives, and not only enable more much-needed research, but will also underpin the EU as the home for clinical trials at global level,' says Thompson.

'By voting to leave, UK trials could face delay, as companies would deprioritise Britain for a more collaborative and harmonised approach available inside the EU,' he adds.

Brexit would not only have an impact on patient access to clinical research, but would also negatively influence the economic growth of the NHS, which currently benefits through existing investment in research by the life sciences industry, the ABPI says.

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