Sir Andrew Witty, the former head of Glaxosmithkline, will lead the Accelerated Access Collaborative FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/GETTY IMAGESPatients have been promised access to “breakthrough” drugs up to four years earlier than at present under plans to fast-track the most promising treatments. Experts will start identifying treatments that could make the biggest difference to patients while they are still in development, in order to push them through regulatory and NHS approval. Charities welcomed the plans, but questioned why it had taken ministers a year to accept the recommendations of a review into speeding up access to medicines. Sir Andrew Witty, the former head of Glaxosmithkline, will lead the Accelerated Access Collaborative. Richard Torbett, of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said: “Over the next decade, breakthrough personalised therapies have the potential to transform treatment for diseases from cancers to diabetes to dementia.”

Source: The Times November 03, 2017 00:22 UTC