CHANCELLOR’S LIFE SCIENCES GROWTH PACKAGE TO FIRE UP ECONOMY

A £650 million war-chest to fire up the UK’s life sciences was unveiled by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in May.

The ‘Life Sci for Growth’ package brings together 10 different policies including £121 million to improve commercial clinical trials to bring new medicines to patients faster, up to £48 million of new money for scientific innovation to prepare for any future health emergencies, £154 million to increase the capacity of the UK’s biological data bank, and up to £250 million to incentivise pension schemes to invest in promising science and tech firms.

The Chancellor’s £650 million package also includes plans to relaunch the Academic Health Science Network as Health Innovation Networks. These will boost innovation by bringing together the NHS, local communities, charities, academia and industry to share best practice. It also lays out changes to planning rules to free-up lab space and updates a route for East West Rail (EWR), the new railway line, to improve connections between UK science powerhouses Oxford and Cambridge, bringing more investment to the region.

There are 15 Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) across England. They were set up in 2013 by NHS England to act as innovation arms of the NHS.

These networks work locally and nationally to support all types of innovation within the NHS. They also support innovators in accelerating promising ideas from development to adoption.

Layla McCay director of policy at the NHS Confederation welcomed the government’s announcement. She said: "We welcome the government’s decision to keep Academic Health Science Networks under the new name of Health Innovation Networks and look forward to seeing what they are able to deliver with their expanded remit.

“They have done an excellent job in supporting Integrated Care Systems to adopt and spread innovation throughout the NHS. Locating Health Innovation Networks regionally will mean that they are able to support systems even more by tailoring innovations which better meet the needs of local communities.”

The West of England Academic Health Science Network, the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network and the Oxford Academic Health Science Network all work within their regions and across organisational and geographical boundaries to develop and drive transformation.

Professor Gary Ford, Chief Executive of the Oxford AHSN and Chair of the AHSN Network, said: “It is a testament to the collective impact of the AHSNs over the past 10 years that our commissioners have issued a further licence. We welcome the opportunity and challenge this provides for our teams to identify, develop and spread innovations that meet the priorities of the NHS over the next five years.

£1.5 million investment brings Bristol University spin-out Halo Therapeutics' antiviral spray into clinic

Clinical trials of a home treatment for Covid are under way following a £1.5 million investment into Bristol University spin-out Halo Therapeutics.

The company received funding from the Development Bank of Wales alongside Science Angel Syndicate members and the KBA Group.

Based on research carried out at Bristol, Halo Therapeutics was established as a spin-out company in 2020 by CEO Dr Daniel Fitzgerald, Professor Christiane Schaffitzel and Professor Imre Berger.

The scientists discovered that exposing the coronavirus virus to a free fatty acid called linoleic acid locks the virus’ spike protein into a closed, non-infective form stopping it in its tracks.

This first-in-human study of Halo Therapeutic’s respiratory antiviral spray for coronaviruses will investigate the safety and tolerability of the treatment prior to subsequent studies being conducted in patients that are Covid positive or are at risk of becoming Covid positive.

Imre Berger, professor of biochemistry at the University of Bristol and chief scientific officer at Halo Therapeutics, said: “Vaccination and treatments have reduced the impact of the virus but it is still a significant health risk.

"Our self-administered and cost-effective antiviral treatment stops the virus from entering and multiplying in the nasal epithelial cells, where it can then spread to the throat and then into the lungs.

"It is a potential game-changer in the treatment and prevention of coronaviruses, particularly with the emergence of new viruses."