Respiratory as a priority in the Life Sciences Vision
Krisnah Poinasamy, Head of Research and Innovation Advocacy, shares what the Life Sciences Vision set out and how for the first time respiratory has been identified as a top priority, and how we’ll be grabbing this opportunity to strengthen respiratory research and innovation in the UK.
Opportunity knocks but once
Research into respiratory disease is underfunded in comparison to its impact on the lives of millions of people across the UK. But that could be about to change as the Government recently made respiratory one of the top priorities within its Life Sciences Vision.
The Life Sciences Vision sets out how the UK can tackle major health challenges, while also improving the strength of our economy. By building on the UK’s strengths in for instance vaccine development, and identifying strategic areas where we need to strengthen such as diagnostics manufacturing, the Vision seeks to improve the lives of millions and ensure economic rewards are reaped for being a global leader in science.
For the first time, respiratory has been identified as a top priority
The government has set out a bold ambition for charities like AUK-BLF, academics, and industry:
Reduce the pressure on the NHS and improve clinical outcomes, through driving improvements in the underpinning understanding of respiratory disease, as well as its treatment and diagnosis.
What that means is vastly improving what we understand about complex conditions like asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, and IPF, and working out how we can better diagnose these conditions and develop new treatments.
Of course, visions need to be realised, lest they remain a dream on paper. That’s why Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation will be working to ensure the Vision for respiratory disease receives the funding and support it needs. Our aim is to see the respiratory sector in the UK grow substantially over the coming years to develop the new breakthroughs that can deliver on the Vision. It’ll mean working closely with a wide range of people including some of the top scientists in the UK, leading innovators, and those creating new tests and developing game-changing drugs.
Grabbing this opportunity to strengthen respiratory research and innovation
Thanks to your support, we already have a great track record of working with large funders like the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and EPSRC, who we partnered with to fund the application of new technologies to respiratory disease. We’re also part of a major initiative to bring together existing data on respiratory disease to provide new insights on respiratory disease.
Respiratory being a priority in the Life Sciences Vision reflects the urgent need to address the poor outcomes for people with respiratory disease and the considerable opportunity to do something about it. We’ll be grabbing this opportunity to strengthen the research and innovation base in the UK to deliver the breakthroughs that will transform outcomes for people with respiratory disease are improved.
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