The UK’s world-leading life sciences sector will receive a £279 million boost to tackle significant health challenges, with an intent expressed by Lilly, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, to invest in the UK as part of a collaborative partnership with UK government, announced at the International Investment Summit today (Monday 14 October).

Plans to form a new collaboration through a memorandum of understanding will see the pharmaceutical giant backing the UK’s brightest and best life sciences talent with the planned launch of the first ‘Lilly Gateway Labs’ innovation accelerator in Europe. This facility will support early-stage life sciences businesses to develop transformative medicines by providing lab space, mentorship and potential financial backing to rocket future growth in the sector.   

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

For all the challenges facing the health of our nation, we have 2 huge advantages: some of the world’s leading scientific minds, and a National Health Service with enormous potential. If we can combine the 2, patients in this country can reap the rewards of the revolution in medical science unfolding before our eyes.

This announcement helps the UK take its place as a world leader in life sciences and brings life-changing treatments closer to being a reality for NHS patients. Partnerships like this are key to building a healthier society, healthier economy and making the NHS fit for the future.  

Lilly’s Gateway Lab plans build on the 300,000 jobs the life sciences sector already supports nationwide. The facility will be the first announced anywhere in Europe, cementing the UK as a world leader in healthcare.  

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

The UK’s life sciences sector is at the forefront of pioneering and life-saving research. 

This groundbreaking collaboration is proof that this sector is held in high esteem internationally and is driving investment into the UK. 

Investments like this drive forward work that will boost our health and ultimately save lives.

But they also fire up our economy, creating the jobs, opportunity and growth we need to invest further in health and to push up living standards.

David A Ricks, Chair and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company said:

We welcome this opportunity to partner with the UK government on tackling and preventing disease, and accelerating innovation to advance care delivery models. Today’s announcement is an important milestone, and we are pleased to reinforce Lilly’s commitment to improving health for people living with obesity and its serious consequences.

Obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancer and a major contributor to ill health that prevents people from participating fully in work. This collaboration will bring together treatments and technologies developed by the life sciences sector and the health system seeking to demonstrate improved long-term health outcomes for those living with obesity. 

The collaboration with Lilly aims to set the stage for government to work with industry to trial innovative approaches to treating obesity as part of a rounded package of care. 

With obesity costing the UK health service more than £11 billion each year, action to tackle the condition is urgently needed. Backing the UK life sciences sector to understand obesity further, alongside introducing measures to prevent obesity in the first place, such as restrictions on junk food advertising, will help ease pressure on the NHS.

NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: 

Obesity is one of the biggest public health issues we face, and we know weight loss drugs will be a game-changer, alongside earlier prevention strategies, in supporting many more people to lose weight and reduce their risk of killer conditions like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

Today’s momentous agreement shows the NHS is uniquely well-placed globally, not just to bring effective new treatments to those who would benefit most, but also to support science, research, jobs and economic growth across the country. We now have an important chance to gain a better understanding of the benefits of weight management interventions for patients, and how best to deliver them over the next few years.

Today’s collaboration is a demonstration of the £108 billion life sciences sector’s value to the UK economy, in both improving public health and keeping the UK at the forefront of scientific progress.  

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

Greater Manchester is world-renowned as a hub for innovation in health and life sciences. The results of the trial announced today could have a far-reaching impact on how we treat obesity globally, and our city-region is ready to make a significant contribution through our outstanding health data assets, R&D expertise and the strong partnerships between industry, universities and public sector organisations.

The International Investment Summit will provide an opportunity to showcase our local strengths in health innovation to an audience of global business leaders and investors. This partnership could be the first of many and give Greater Manchester residents access to other innovative treatments.

Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray, said:

I welcome this long-term strategic partnership with the world’s largest pharmaceutical company.

Scotland has a vibrant life science sector, world class universities and an NHS with a long track record of working with both.

This initiative supports our use of innovation to transform health and social care by building new partnerships between government, our NHS, academic institutions and industry.

Mike Nesbitt, Health Minister for Northern Ireland, said:

It is only by focusing more on prevention and population health, tackling health inequalities and harnessing the power of innovation through the UK’s world-leading life sciences sector that we will be able to deliver better outcomes for patients.

Driving economic growth to improve the lives of hardworking British people is this government’s number one mission. The life sciences sector – which drove £800 million in foreign direct investment into the UK in 2023 – sits at the heart of these plans.

Background information 

Obesity Healthcare Goals Programme

The Obesity Healthcare Goals Programme, formerly known as the Obesity Mission, was announced in November 2022, and is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) alongside the dementia, mental health, cancer and addiction healthcare goals.