Innovate UK, KTN & the Precision Medicines Centres of Excellence Network will be hosting an event on Precision Medicine on 30th Jan in London.

The UK has embarked on a very ambitious journey to become the home of Precision Medicine. This journey started in 2010 when the precursor to Innovate UK, the Technology Strategy Board, and a consortium of Governmental bodies and charities funded the Stratified Medicine Innovation Platform Programme Coordination Group. This was followed a year later with  the publication of a Technology Roadmap, which identified thematic areas which would need to be addressed to accelerate the research, development and uptake of stratified medicine in the UK.

Since then, millions of pounds have been invested by the UK government in infrastructure and programmes to accelerate the adoption of Precision Medicine into clinical practice.  The UK Government Industrial Strategy identified health data and genomics as key to the development of precision medicine. Furthermore, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund invested £210 million to the sector via the Data to Early Diagnosis and Precision Medicine Challenge theme.

Innovate UK regards Precision Medicine as being any technology that can enable early and accurate diagnosis to inform patient management or selection of therapy. It has historically liaised with six Centres of Excellence in Precision Medicine around the UK with the aim of helping to align existing assets and initiatives in order to enhance the development of new pathways, products and services and to facilitate their integration within the healthcare system.

These Precision Medicine Centres of Excellence – that are based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – have been working towards a strategy to ensure that this UK resource is spread across the country and can be accessed by industry and research organisation alike for the benefit of patients.

On the 30th of January 2020, Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network are collaborating with the PM Centres of Excellence Network to deliver an event at Stamford Bridge in London showcasing existing capability and assets that reside in the UK. This event will also open up the conversation to ensure  other groups working in Precision Medicine in the UK also have a platform to highlight their skills and capabilities. Alison Cave (ISCF Director: Accelerating Detection of Disease at Innovate UK) will be providing the keynote speech.

Find out more here