Written Evidence Submitted by MedCity
(CLL0104)
1.1. MedCity represents the life sciences cluster in London. We connect private industry with partners in academic institutions, the NHS and the charity sector to catalyse opportunities that advance cutting-edge R&D in areas such as AI, diagnostics and rare diseases.
1.2. Our work builds collaborations to accelerate uptake and drive inward investment of medical innovation and growth across the UK. We help policymakers understand what life sciences requires to thrive in a competitive international landscape and help industry navigate the London life sciences ecosystem to progress their products.
1.3. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MedCity established the London Testing Alliance (the Alliance), bringing together London’s leading life sciences academic institutions alongside industry and pathology service providers to increase diagnostic testing capacity in England. This year, the Alliance will add up to 20,500 tests a day[1] as part of Pillar 2. Members of the Alliance include Health Services Laboratories, University College London, King’s Health Partners, Imperial College London, and Queen Mary University of London.
1.4. MedCity published the Unleashing Innovation report, putting a spotlight on the cluster’s world-leading research in the fight against COVID-19. The report showcases the innovative and collaborative nature of the research taking place in the face of unprecedented challenges, providing a material demonstration of the exceptional contribution the UK has made to the global pandemic response.
2.1. Scaling up COVID-19 Testing Capacity
2.2. Recommendation: A centrally set framework for novel diagnostics and diagnostic capacity and a rapid deployment of people and systems to process offers of new capacity should form part of future pandemic preparedness programmes.
2.3. Recommendation: The experience in London highlights the importance of having life sciences cluster organisations in UK regions as part of a national life science strategy.
2.4. MedCity formed the Alliance as a forum for the main London life sciences academic institutions alongside representatives from the NHS, GLA and DHSC, to discuss making lab space available for COVID-19 testing.
2.5. Through the Alliance, experts in clinical virology and diagnostics from the AHSCs pooled knowledge, shared best practice and fielded questions to the relevant authorities co-ordinating testing capacity. Sharing insights and ideas helped organisations quickly identify how to remove blocks and fast-track bringing added capacity on stream.
2.6. In the first few weeks of the pandemic in the UK, MedCity brought together the London AHSCs to share best practice on offering their resources (lab, equipment and people) to add to the national testing effort. Without clear national or regional frameworks for integrating this capacity or engagement, MedCity created the London Testing Alliance to accelerate and enhance the availability of testing capacity.
2.7. In addition to supporting the testing efforts by providing university personnel and equipment, while harnessing academic knowledge, Alliance members also offered additional testing capacity through the process established to receive all other offers for the testing and innovation programmes – a generic email address available on the Government website. This process was inefficient and slow. Well-respected, regulated and established organisations able to provide significant additional diagnostics capacity were not rapidly prioritised for a response. Only through MedCity convening of DHSC with the London institutions and local health bodies (NHS London, PHE, GLA) enabled a joined-up offer which increased COVID-19 testing capacity at greater scale and pace.
2.8. The contracting process, however, has excluded MedCity’s role in enabling a swift collective response, facilitating shared learning and best practice and smooth implementation to a regional crisis. The contracting process was not set up to facilitate collaboration between testing organisations, which meant that MedCity convened the Alliance members as well as the Deloitte account manager and local PHE to provide an open and safe environment to share operational challenges including equipment shortages and supply issues, and for each party to help resolve these and other issues together. This process established trust and ensured efficiency and consistent messaging to partners including NHS Trusts, local authorities, CCGs and other relevant stakeholders, particularly in ensuring clarity between Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 activities in a highly populated, diverse region.
2.9. Finally, MedCity’s role and investment in convening the Alliance was not recognised in the contracts. The mobilisation of the Alliance, in a rapid fashion across a number of stakeholders, would not have been possible without MedCity. Our familiarity with the life sciences ecosystem in the region and relationship with key stakeholders made MedCity central to the establishment of the Alliance and its delivery of Pillar 2 testing.
2.10. Cluster organisations like MedCity have in-depth understanding of the region’s capabilities. They play an important role in connecting stakeholders across their regions with national strategies and have ably and amply demonstrated their value in the COVID-19 response.
2.11. Supporting clusters across the UK is important for the life sciences industry in normal times, made even more essential by the COVID-19 pandemic. By elevating the role of life sciences clusters to further facilitate multilateral networks, the UK life sciences industry will be strengthened as a whole – a strength that will translate into an improved response in times of crisis.
2.12. MedCity was approached by the life sciences sector – companies and academia – with tremendous goodwill, innovation and resource to support the national effort. As the regional organisation that connects the ecosystem, we were looked to for how to make this happen. In future pandemic responses, the UK must have protocols in place to better leverage these offers and bring them on stream quickly and safely. We can be faster and nimbler, without cutting any corners.
3.1. Recommendation: Support for life sciences research must continue for the UK. We recognise the value of the UK R&D Roadmap; its implementation should focus relentlessly on excellence to maintain the UK’s position as a global life sciences hub.
3.2. Recommendation: We welcome public and private R&D investment to deliver the levelling up agenda. The pandemic has proved duplicating existing infrastructure more readily leads to a duplication of effort, rather than increased efficiency or effectiveness. Connecting existing world-leading capabilities, as exemplified by the UK Dementia Research Institute, will generate better science and a stronger UK science sector.
3.3. Across the UK, the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed a rapid re-orientation of life sciences R&D. London’s life sciences cluster contributed ground-breaking research and innovations that have assisted efforts in the UK and on a global scale.
3.4. Standing out for its sizeable contribution to the national and global response to the pandemic, London’s incredible efforts are brought to light in MedCity’s Unleashing Innovation report. The report – a snapshot of the diverse projects taking place in the region – showcases a selection of key innovations from the cluster, such as the development of new treatments, vaccines, diagnostics and other advances.
3.5. London is the location for 37 high priority PHE studies, and home to the development and trials of two vaccine candidates, as well as over 14 antibody and antigen tests that have been developed or are in development. Hope is widespread for the success of the Imperial vaccine, which began phase one human trials in June 2020, one of the most widely known candidates in development. Innovative treatments to have come out of London include convalescent plasma treatment, as well as notable trials of the drugs interleukin 7 and remdesivir. In diagnostics, the Imperial spin-out DnaNudge developed a lab-free, rapid PCR test able to deliver results in under 90 minutes – receiving an order for 5.8 million from Government.
3.6. London is uniquely placed to take advantage of its scientific capability to enable an adequate and comprehensive Government response to the pandemic. Its world-leading life sciences ecosystem rapidly produced innovative solutions and research. London was able to quickly pivot from commercial and academic research to the pandemic response only because the capacity and high-quality expertise already existed.
3.7. Whilst the challenge of COVID-19 has been sizeable for the UK, a strong and innovative life sciences sector has helped to mitigate some of the worst impacts. It would be impossible to create the research infrastructure and expertise necessary to respond in pandemic situations without an already thriving sector – and in the UK, London and the South East are at the heart of our world leading R&D ecosystem.
[1] This figure is the combined total of Pillar 2 tests per day from the members of the London Testing Alliance. Breakdown: 10,000 from University College London; 4,500 from King’s Health Partners; 3,000 from Imperial College London; 3,000 from Queen Mary University of London. All figures provided by the member institutions.