ATTC Network gets further investment of £9.5m

The Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (ATTC) network has been awarded an extra £9.5 million to fund an additional 12 months of the programme, which was established to break down barriers to clinical adoption of advanced therapies by increasing the capacity and capability of the NHS.

A total of £6.5 million has been granted from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and an additional £3 million from its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), managed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The new funding will support additional initiatives through to March 2022 and continuation of certain centre and network projects hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, including standardising best practice for routine clinical delivery of advanced therapies in the NHS and the nationwide provision of educational programmes to carers and healthcare professionals.

“We want to build back better by putting the UK at the forefront of new technologies to create high-skilled jobs, increase productivity and grow the economy as we recover from coronavirus,” said science minister Amanda Solloway.

“This new funding will strengthen the UK’s global status in a range of areas, including advanced medical treatments, helping us develop innovative solutions to some of our biggest global challenges and creating jobs in rewarding careers right across the country.”

The UK accounts for 12% of global advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) clinical trials and the network – which is co-ordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and comprises partners in industry, academia and healthcare providers and three regional UK centres – supports half of those.

“Bringing together companies, the NHS and regulatory bodies to make the use of cell and gene therapies easier, more cost effective, and more widespread both boosts the industry and brings these life changing medicines to patients who need them,” commented Matthew Durdy, CGT Catapult's chief executive.

“The fact that 12% of global clinical trials in cell and gene therapy take place in the UK and half of those involve ATTCs is a testament to the success of this highly respected programme.”