UK Government announces multi-million-pound funding for near-patient medicine and vaccine making for clinical trials and patient treatment.
Pharmaceutical researchers will soon be able to make advanced therapeutics such as cancer treatments and mRNA vaccines [in the West Midlands in three new, dedicated commercial cleanrooms being developed at the University of Birmingham’s Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA).
The UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology announced today that the University will receive funding from the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) to support the development and staffing of three cleanrooms at GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standard. This will ensure that the UK has greater capacity to support the production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products, innovative treatments, medical trials and to respond more quickly to health emergencies.
Cleanroom laboratories are controlled environments designed to minimise contamination by controlling airborne particles, temperature, humidity, and other key environmental factors. They are critical in industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics and aerospace, where even microscopic contaminants can compromise the quality and functionality of products.
At the PHTA, the £10M investment will contribute towards a new £10.7 million facility to help make cell and gene therapies, and vaccines, both for patient treatment and for clinical trials.
Known as near-patient biomanufacturing, the facility on the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus will enable the latest medicines and therapeutics to be developed close to Birmingham’s clinical research facilities, including those at the neighbouring University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Gino Martini, Chief Executive Officer of PHTA, said: “The UK, and particularly the West Midlands, urgently needs GMP cleanroom facilities to support the production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products and vaccines, including cell therapies and mRNA vaccines, as well as medicines for clinical trials.
“This new investment will allow us to achieve our point-of-care manufacturing ambitions, ensuring patients get access to the latest, most innovative medicines. Having these facilities in place will also build resilience into the NHS, ensuring future pandemic preparedness.”
Professor Neil Hanley, Birmingham Health Partners Executive Director and Head of the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham, said: “The value of this award is considerable, allowing us to create a comprehensive biomanufacturing capability in the middle of the country, directly adjacent to patients which we know is a priority for the Government and MHRA.
“The strength and depth of the clinical research environment - including PHTA - sits at the heart of Birmingham’s Health and Life Sciences District and is anchored by the University of Birmingham and its £1bn five-year cycle of research awards in health, medicine and life sciences.”
The strength and depth of the clinical research environment - including PHTA - sits at the heart of Birmingham’s Health and Life Sciences District
The West Midlands plays a leading role in medical research, hosting more than 50% of the UK’s clinical trials for advanced therapies, but it has no dedicated GMP manufacturing facility.
UK-funded companies currently outsource the making of advanced therapies overseas, and UK patients often miss out on opportunities to take part in clinical trials involving them. With LSIMF funding, the new facility within Birmingham’s Health and Life Sciences District will be an important addition to research and development infrastructure. Its proximity will allow researchers and industry partners to rapidly develop, test, and manufacture new therapies, speeding up their availability to patients.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “By manufacturing more medicines in this country we can make sure more people get the vital treatments they need. These investments will make a real difference to people across the country and show our Life Sciences Sector Plan is bearing fruit.
“We are delivering the advanced treatments that patients need, growing our economy, and creating and protecting highly skilled jobs for people across the UK.”
Dr Zubir Ahmed, Health Innovation and Safety Minister, said: “I have seen first-hand the difference latest treatments can make to a patient’s life. These investments mean more people living with conditions like bipolar disorder will benefit from cutting-edge medicines - developed and manufactured right here in Britain.
“This is the Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10 Year Health Plan in action - giving confidence to medical innovators across the globe to deliver, scale and grow in the UK, creating highly skilled, well-paid jobs and strengthening our medical supply chains in the process.”
The new commercial cleanrooms will also benefit from close proximity to a range of regional and world-leading research centres, including the NIHR Midlands-Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre co-hosted with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; the nationally-designated Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, which covers all childhood cancer in the UK; and the UKRI-designated Centre of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation in AI (CERSI).
The cleanrooms will also boost economic activity in the West Midlands by creating highly skilled jobs and attracting pharmaceutical and biotech companies to the region.
For media enquiries and more information please contact Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0)7815 607 157.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Medicine and Health
Professor Neil Hanley is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham.
