An OVID Health article by Anna Parnanen
Recently, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (ATTC) network brought the ATMP community together for “Shaping a stronger UK ecosystem for advanced therapy clinical trials.” OVID Health acts as a secretariat to the Cell and Gene Collective (CGC), an alliance of five biopharmaceutical companies who wish to support the NHS and policymakers in delivering cell and gene therapies to patients, so I was delighted to be invited.
You wouldn’t necessarily believe it reading the headlines about the life sciences sector in the UK, but the day was full of optimism about the UK’s position in the global ATMP landscape. For example, Lawrence Tallon, the CEO of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency(MHRA) who spoke at the event, has highlighted how CGTs are a priority for the organisation.
Amongst it, however, there was a lot of honesty about the challenges we need to tackle if the UK wants to take its place as a leader in advanced therapies.
A strong foundation to build on
The UK has a lot to be proud of. We are already have built strong foundations for ATMP clinical trials, with 187 commercial studies hosted here in 2024. NHS England was also the first organisation in Europe to approve CAR-T therapies. A motivated NHS, strong research base, and a regulatory system that is adapting to innovation definitely add to our strengths.
The ATTC Network is central to this progress. It is providing the infrastructure, pathways, and partnerships needed to translate innovation into real-world delivery, making the UK a reliable partner for industry and academia alike.
The barriers in our way (and many of us are aware of)
The event brought together a diverse mix of stakeholders from across the UK’s advanced therapy clinical trial ecosystem, including representatives from the NHS, MHRA, Genomics England, patient advocacy groups, biotech companies, and the ATTC network. Discussions focused on accelerating clinical trial delivery, embedding patient voice, improving rare disease diagnosis, and leveraging data for impact. Case studies showcased innovation across regions, while mini hackathons explored strategies to attract global developers, influence policy, and embed PPIE in commercial approaches. Panels and keynotes addressed clinical readiness and regulatory perspectives, culminating in a patient-led fireside chat and networking to foster collaboration.
And what we found, is that the all too familiar barriers still exist. While pockets of excellence exist, with some sites running significantly more trials than others, the challenge lies in replicating success across the system. A recurring theme was the misconception, especially among global partners, that the NHS operates as a single entity, when in reality, each trust and hospital has its own infrastructure, processes, and culture. This fragmentation contributes to familiar barriers: complex and inconsistent trial set-up procedures, workforce shortages and lack of dedicated research staff, fragile supply chains, and regulatory bottlenecks. These issues collectively slow trial initiation and delivery, and ultimately hinder patient access to promising therapies. The discussions underscored the urgency of embedding scalable solutions, harmonising processes, and ensuring the NHS is equipped to meet the growing demands of advanced therapy research.
The ATTC Network is working to address these issues, but it was clear from discussion that systemic action is needed if the UK is to remain competitive in a fast-moving global market.
MHRA: in a path of renewal
The MHRA acknowledged recent challenges, from Brexit to the pandemic, but struck an optimistic tone. Lawrence Tallon, the CEO of the regulatory body, spoke about a renewed focus on proportionate, innovation-friendly regulation, and with “10x innovation” as a central aim, the regulator is positioning itself to support faster and more effective access to ATMPs.
What next?
In its conclusion, the event reinforced a universal truth: collaboration is key. No one part of the system, whether regulators, patients, the NHS, industry, or academia, can solve these issues alone. We need action on workforce training, process standardisation, and supply chain resilience, as well as open dialogue with patients about access and equity.
The UK has a strong foundation and a real opportunity to lead in advanced therapy development and delivery. The challenge now is to build on that strength and ensure patients benefit from innovation as quickly and fairly as possible, including by recognising the value of those medicines and treatments (and that can be my only slight reference to VPAG).
Article originally published on LinkedIn on 8th October
