The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) have formed a collaboration to “tackle the biggest health challenges” in Birmingham.
The partnership, focusing on the West Midlands’ six million residents, will use real-time clinical trials and health data to speed up research and improve cancer care, maternity services, child health, obesity, and dementia.
The team, founded on a Memorandum of Understanding, has said it aims to make Birmingham a world leader in the development of precision medicines tailored to patients based on genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.
Dubbed the Birmingham Health Partners & Industry Steering Group (BHPISG), the collaboration will play to Birmingham’s strengths in healthcare data, digitalisation of health care services, genomic medicine, diagnostics and clinical trials and will help address the biggest challenges facing the city and region.
Challenges it plans to tackle include improving cancer outcomes, addressing maternal and paediatric health, tackling multimorbidity in an ageing population and improving NHS care by matching patient results with ongoing research.
With a diverse population of nearly six million citizens, the West Midlands is the “ideal place to develop and test new innovations in healthcare, such as precision medicines tailored to individual patient needs,” said Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands.
He continued, “This exciting agreement will bring world-class researchers, healthcare practitioners and industry together to tackle the big health challenges facing our region and help deliver on our West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy.
“It also demonstrates the strength of the West Midlands life sciences cluster, which is rapidly emerging as a flagship location for developing and testing innovations in healthcare.”
The four challenge focuses were chosen because they have national or international relevance, and can be scaled up if successful.
