Lab Brief - October 2024
28 October 2024
Inward investment to boost UK science
Hello again,
THIS MONTH we have had a very welcome sign that inward investment is being focussed on industries that bring real benefit to the UK. The announcement of a deal with Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, will see it invest £279 million in the UK as part of a collaborative partnership with the UK government.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed at the government’s recent investment summit will see the pharmaceutical giant launch its first ‘Lilly Gateway Labs’ innovation accelerator in the UK. This facility will support early-stage life sciences businesses to develop transformative medicines by providing lab space, mentorship and potential financial backing to boost future growth in the sector.
Clearly, one of the inducements offered was the trialling by the NHS of Lilly’s obesity drug, Mounjaro.
While it’s hard not to feel some unease at the mass dispensing of such a drug to such large numbers of the population, the investment by such a major player is surely good news for the lab industry, for our scientific community, for employment and for our educational institutions.
This innovation will re-enforce the spectacular and ongoing lab building boom which is going on in the UK (see the huge number of lab construction projects which we have been featuring this month and for many months past). Now we just have to make sure we continue to fund our education sector to provide the necessary graduates and scientists to support the boom.
Toodle pip!
Jacqueline
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In this month's issue
Lab centrifuge ban averted... £11 Million lab investment announced by speaker at GAMBICA conference... Government seeks views on procurement guidelines... ‘Ransomware as a service’ costs US hospitals more than $500,000 each... Guidance issued for providers of synthetic nucleic acids... NHS to speed up adoption of new technologies and launch major crackdown on waste... Lab construction updates: Wirral; USA; Canary Wharf; Cambridge; Warrington... Research updates: How genuine is your honey? and Major step in 3D printed electronics... Export news: Analytica expands to the US... Minister responds to GAMBICA lobbying on export licence delays... New trade sanctions body launched... Caribbean opportunities... Info on centrifuges needed for trade deal... Tenders... GAMBICA events... Industry events