Pharmaceutical Industry Competitiveness Task Force (PICTF)

The Pharmaceutical Industry Competitiveness Task Force will bring together the expertise and experience of the industry leaders in the UK with Government policy makers to identify and report to the Prime Minister on the steps that may need to be taken to retain and strengthen the competitiveness of the UK business environment for the innovative pharmaceutical industry. The Task Force will:

I. Identify all the criteria for maintaining and developing the competitiveness of the UK as a successful and effective base for an innovative pharmaceutical industry in a global market.

II. Address the following specific issues:

1.Given the role of NICE in relation to judgements about clinical and cost-effectiveness and other measures intended to improve the quality of prescribing in the NHS, consider how the home market can best support the international competitiveness of innovative medicines produced for the home and international market by the R&D industry in the UK.

2.The recognition of intellectual property for pharmaceuticals in the context of:

• resolution of the tensions caused by national pricing of medicines and the free movement of goods within the European Single Market;
• global trade in pharmaceuticals.

3. Evaluate the importance of the clinical research infrastructure of the NHS and the benefits and costs of its use by industry as a location for clinical studies.

4. Consider the aspects of the economic climate in the UK which foster or constrain the competitiveness of an innovative pharmaceutical industry, and identify any changes which would significantly strengthen that environment for the industry.

5. Identify further steps that might be taken to foster the development of a vibrant biopharmaceuticals sector, including examination of the potential for technology clusters to develop, taking into account the interface with land use planning.

6. Identify the potential for promoting further partnership between the industry and academia and industry and government.

7. Consider the future development from a competitiveness point of view of the European medicines licensing system especially in relation to the respective roles of the EMEA and national agencies.

III. Assess, in the light of the Task Force's work, how well the UK is currently meeting the criteria identified at I above and what further action is needed.

CHAIR AND MEMBERSHIP

Co-chairmen
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health)
Tom McKillop (AstraZeneca)

Members
Government
Lord Sainsbury of Turville (Minister for Science and Innovation)
Baroness Blackstone (Minister for Education and Employment)
Nick Raynsford, MP (Minister for Housing and Planning)
Stephen Timms, MP (Financial Secretary)
Chris Kelly, Permanent Secretary DH
Industry
Sir Richard Sykes (Glaxo Wellcome)
J-P Garnier (SmithKline Beecham)
Bill Fullager (ABPI President and Novartis)
Vincent Lawton (Merck, Sharp and Dohme)
Trevor Jones (ABPI Director-General)

Attendees
a. Observer: No 10 Policy Unit
b. Officials from DH, HMT, DTI, DETR, DfEE, DfID and other representatives from Industry will attend meetings as and when necessary.

SECRETARIAT
An appropriate and adequate secretariat will be provided jointly by industry and the Department of Health.

METHOD OF WORK AND WORK PROGRAMME
The Task Force is expected to meet regularly over a period of one year, beginning April 2000. The frequency and location of meetings will be determined by the co-chairmen. The Task Force will work and reach agreement by consensus.

The Task Force will set the detail of its work programme and priorities therein at its first meeting. The work programme will be developed from within the framework of topics set out in these Terms of Reference. Further items can be put forward for inclusion in the work programme with the consent of the two co-chairmen. Decisions on whether to incorporate further items will be taken by consensus.

The Task Force will commission specific work from such joint industry-Government working groups that it sees fit to establish. Representatives of these working groups (senior officials and industry representatives) will join the Task Force meetings as appropriate to report on activity and progress. Agreed action will be taken forward during the course of the year. A report will be published setting out the achievements of the Task Force after consideration by the Prime Minister.

Joint Secretariat
April 2000

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Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry