Fears are escalating that Britain’s life sciences sector is a sinking ship, weighed down by a hostile policy environment and a government seemingly unwilling to plug the holes. As major companies abandon vessel, a sense of panic is setting in among those who fear it may be too late to steer the industry back to safe harbor.
The evidence of the crisis is clear as water floods the decks. MSD’s decision to scrap its £1 billion research facility was a huge breach in the hull. Eli Lilly has paused its own investment, and Sanofi is actively heading for the lifeboats, slashing its UK clinical trials and ceasing all new capital expenditure. These are not minor leaks but catastrophic failures.
The ship is being sunk by the anchor of its own government’s policies. A combination of low public spending on healthcare, a pricing system that stifles innovation, and heavy clawback taxes has made the UK a perilous place to operate. An internal power struggle within the government, particularly the Treasury’s refusal to release more funds, has left the crew with no clear orders.
The UK’s scientific talent and academic institutions are like the ship’s strong steel frame, but even the best-built vessel cannot survive such conditions. A rapid and radical course correction is needed from the government to prevent the entire sector from going under. Without it, the UK’s life sciences crown will be lost to the depths.