Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at Whitehouse Communications, an advisor to MedTech suppliers, chair of the Urology Trade Association, and governor of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, highlights an innovative new UK initiative to boost testing in the face of any new pandemic.
New science and technologies, including digital technologies, will be included in a new UK government Diagnostic Accelerator, aimed at enhancing pandemic preparedness.
The project is being launched by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) which will be creating new partnerships with industry, academia, non-government organisations and other government bodies to prioritise the development of tests for pathogens with the greatest pandemic and epidemic potential, ensuring the UK has accurate diagnostic tests ready for infectious diseases that pose the greatest risk and which can be delivered at scale and at speed.
Currently, while UKHSA has developed its own in-house tests for a range of different pathogens including avian influenza and mpox, the agency is concerned that there is a lack of commercially available tests on the UK market that would allow testing to be ramped up to the levels needed for epidemic and pandemic scenarios for many infectious diseases.
Pledging to keep the UK at the ‘forefront of innovation’, Dame Professor Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: ‘We are working constantly to ensure the right defences are in place for when the UK faces the next pandemic threat. Having world leading testing and diagnostic infrastructure in place is a critical part of this.’
The work of the Diagnostic Accelerator is also part of the UK’s contribution to the global 100 Days Mission, launched in 2021 under the UK G7 presidency with the ambitious aim of deploying an effective vaccine within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat. The 100 Days Mission encompasses the development of a vaccine as well as the availability of therapeutic medication and diagnostic tests.
The Author used AI in preparing this article. Comments upon or questions about this article can be addressed to chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com.