The UK aims to quadruple the number of clinical trial participants in the next four years as part of plans to turn the UK into a “science superpower”.
Unveiling a £650 million ($800 million) funding package for the UK's life sciences sector, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the money will be used for a series of projects.
“Our Life Sciences sector employs over 280,000 people, makes £94 billion for the UK each year and produced the world's first Covid vaccine,” said Mr Hunt, who met with company bosses and industry figures at the UK's Life Science Council.
“These are businesses that are growing our economy while having much wider benefits for our health – and this multimillion pound investment will help them go even further.”
Up to £250 million has been committed to incentivising pension schemes investing in “promising” science and technology companies, while almost £50 million has also been pledged to prepare for future health emergencies.
Money has also been earmarked for the rail project linking Oxford and Cambridge, with £154 million set to go towards increasing the capacity of the UK's biological data bank.
£121 million, made up of new and existing funding, aims to speed up clinical trials and improve access to real-time data.
It is hoped the financial support will enable patients to obtain quicker access to new medicines and reverse a decline in clinical trial participants since the Covid pandemic.
There has been a reported 44 per cent drop in the number of people recruited to trials, from over 50,000 in 2017, to around 28,000 in 2021.
“It’s a very important part of the offer to life science companies that they don’t just do their research and development here, but they’re able to trial their drugs on human beings,” said Mr Hunt.
“The data you get from that is the most valuable of all.”
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said ministers were taking forward recommendations from an independent review by Lord O'Shaughnessy to “speed up the delivery of clinical trials and boost patient involvement in research, so people getting NHS care can benefit from cutting-edge treatments faster”.
The recommendations include the doubling of patient participation in clinical trials over the next two years, followed by a further doubling by 2027.
The government aims to achieve the target by offering “financial incentives” to GPs to encourage recruitment and via the NHS app, which will inform people about trials in their area.
Prof Charlotte Summers, an expert in intensive care medicine at the University of Cambridge, said: “The O'Shaughnessy review has captured many of the issues contributing to the decline in commercial clinical trial activity within the UK, and the government's commitment to implement the proposed recommendations is to be welcomed.
“If we are to become a science superpower, it is vital that we use this as opportunity to expand clinical trial activity in the UK, and that we do not implement these reforms in a manner that leads to decreased non-commercial research activity – our patients need both.”
Science and Technology Secretary Chloe Smith said that the funding delivers on the government's science and technology framework and represents a “double win” that will drive economic growth and support public health.
Downing Street insisted that new railway funding was a sign of its “ongoing commitment” to transport projects between the two university cities of Oxford and Cambridge.
“The cities of Oxford and Cambridge are renowned across the globe for their academic excellence – East-West Rail will be vital in allowing them to thrive for generations to come and help to grow the economy,” Transport Secretary Mark Harper said.
“With the potential to unlock £103bn of growth through new homes, businesses and job opportunities, this crucial line will also serve as a catalyst for development in one of Europe's most vibrant local economies while making travel quicker, cheaper and easier across the region.
Prof Andrew Morris, director of Health Data Research UK, said that the investment in infrastructure and the creation of new public-private partnerships were all “good news” for the sector.
Praising the two reviews, he said: “The one missing thing in today's announcements that would transform life science research in the UK is a positive conclusion to the talks for the UK to access the EU's Horizon research programme.
“Research today is built on team science with collaborations across the globe.
“Working alongside other top scientists in Europe benefits everyone and keeps all our research at the cutting edge, speeding benefits for patients and the public.”
Darius Hughes, Moderna's general manager for the UK, said the company welcomed “the recommendations in the independent review, all of which demonstrate a commitment to reinvigorate the UK's world-class reputation in clinical research that will bring benefits to patients.”
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
POWERWASH%20SIMULATOR
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Read more about the coronavirus
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
UAE%20SQUAD
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CREW
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
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ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
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