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UK ministers call for post-Brexit co-operation with EU on drugs
Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark try to set out position for pharmaceutical industry

UK ministers call for post-Brexit co-operation with EU on drugs Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark try to set out position for pharmaceutical industry Read next UK civil service in turf war over Brexit Investment in life sciences currently generates more than £60bn a year for the UK economy © FT Montage Share on Twitter (opens new window) Share on Facebook (opens new window) Share on LinkedIn (opens new window) 199 Save YESTERDAY by: Sarah Neville and Jim Pickard in London Two senior UK ministers have warned hardline Brexiters they should be ready to accept some continued regulation from Brussels, writing that Britain’s life sciences sector needs collaboration with the EU’s drug regulator after Brexit. In a letter to the Financial Times, Jeremy Hunt, health secretary, and Greg Clark, business secretary, said that in order to shore up investment in the industry, “the UK would like to find a way to continue to collaborate with the EU, in the interests of public health and safety”. The ministers said the proposal was in line with prime minister Theresa May’s desire for “deep, broad and dynamic co-operation” with the EU after Britain exits. But it also takes the unusual step of publicly spelling out their negotiating position before EU divorce talks are fully under way. Pharmaceutical industry leaders have been calling for a clear outline of the government’s stance, fearing that continuing uncertainty could sap global confidence in the UK medicines sector. Investment in life sciences generates more than £60bn a year for the UK economy and supports 220,000 jobs. Some executives worry that if the UK is forced to develop its own drug approval system, divorced from the rest of the EU, Britain may find itself at the back of the queue for new medicines because drug companies will concentrate on securing approval in bigger and more lucrative markets. The ministers wrote that, if they are unable to secure “our desired relationship with the EU”, Britain would be required to “set up a regulatory system” to process drug licenses “as quickly as possible”. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt © Reuters Government insiders said the letter from Mr Hunt and Mr Clark has been signed off by Downing Street, the Treasury and the Department for Exiting the EU. However, in political circles it is likely to reinforce the perception that cabinet ministers are now prone to “freelancing” after Mrs May was weakened by the Conservatives’ disastrous general election result. The new lack of discipline has meant ministers have felt freer to express their views on Brexit in particular. Boris Johnson, foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, chancellor, and David Davis, Brexit secretary, have all set out varying visions for Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU. Mr Johnson and Mr Hammond have also been part of a recent cabinet free-for-all over public sector pay. Letters The UK wants to continue to work with the EU on medicines From Jeremy Hunt, UK health secretary, and Greg Clark, UK business secretary The European Medicines Agency, based in London’s Canary Wharf, currently reviews the safety of all medicines produced in the EU. Each member state also has its own national regulatory agency. But the EU medicines agency will leave London when Britain exits the EU, creating uncertainty about whether the UK will have to develop its own freestanding system for drug approvals. Under the current system, a drug first goes through a scientific assessment phase, conducted by the EMA. The European Commission in Brussels then decides whether to authorise the medicine to be used in all member states. One option favoured by the industry would be for the UK to continue to participate in the first phase — via its national agency, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency — and when a recommendation has been agreed, separate but identical proposals would be sent to Brussels and London for authorisation. This would allow the UK government to issue its own approval under domestic law that would not be governed by the European Court of Justice. Britain will have to maintain or replace the work of at least 34 European regulators after it leaves the EU, ranging from financial services, through chemicals and plastic to life sciences. Pharmaceutical industry leaders welcomed the intervention by Mr Hunt and Mr Clark. Steve Bates, chief executive of the BioIndustry Association, described the letter as “good news for patients, industry and investors”. Philip Thomson, president of global affairs at GlaxoSmithKline, said the “clear intention to prioritise patient safety and provide stability for the life science industry through the Brexit process is very welcome”. Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, said securing an agreement with the EU “that enables innovative companies like ours to access scientific talent and rely on efficient supply chains as well as integrated medicines regulation will be critical to our sustainable success”. Mike Thompson, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, praised the government for “making the first move”, but said an agreement should be reached quickly given the industry’s very long timelines for drug development. “While I understand that the current plan is not to agree anything until everything is agreed, that just won’t work for us and therefore we would very much hope that . . . we will get an early signal in terms of the arrangements we put in place to ensure the supply of medicines,” he said.