Pharma industry benefits to UK

The latest statistics contained in the annual report of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry show the importance of the drug sector to the health of the UK and to its economy. They show that sales of medicines accounted for just 9.2% of National Health Service costs in 2007, and that they cost just 46 pence ($0.92) per person a day. Prices are 24% in real terms than 10 years ago. Yet UK patient access to innovative medicines remains one of the lowest in Europe, says the ABPI.

At the same time, UK-based pharmaceutical companies carry out around a quarter of all business R&D in the country and spend more than a third of their NHS sales revenues on research - more than L10.0 million every day. Moreover, much of this R&D focuses on the major areas of unmet need, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

This resulted in pharmaceutical exports of L14.6 billion in 2007, creating a trade surplus for the economy of L4.3 billion. More than one in five of the world's top medicines were discovered and developed in the UK - more than any other country except the USA and as many as the rest of Europe combined, the Association points out.