The Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D competition, delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), aims to transform the UK’s medicines manufacturing sector by driving innovation, adoption, investment and collaboration.
The programme will focus on developing disruptive technologies to optimise production efficiency, minimise waste and reduce emissions, aligning with global sustainability goals and demonstrating the UK’s commitment to fostering innovation that delivers economic and environmental benefits.
The winning projects include:
- GalanCEAmine: Sustainable galanthamine production from daffodils using controlled environment agriculture – this project optimises daffodil cultivation, helping to ensure a sustainable, year-round supply of bioactive compounds used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Grant awarded: £501,546
- Antibodies Unchained: Cold-chain free and patient-friendly therapies – this project uses shells made of silica to make monoclonal antibody medicines room-temperature stable, saving energy, reducing waste and improving treatment access globally. Grant awarded: £1,120,232
- Building a sustainable platform for rAAV gene therapy manufacturing – this project develops new technology to make gene therapy production more efficient and affordable, helping to improve access to life-changing treatments for patients. Grant awarded: £553,831
The competition is part of the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme (SMMIP), designed to address key environmental challenges in pharmaceutical production. This was funded by the wider VPAG Investment Programme, a new joint government-industry programme targeting investment across the UK.
The chosen projects were picked to address challenges across three key pillars:
- Green Chemistry: Developing processes that minimise the use of hazardous substances and reduce environmental impact
- Circularity: Enabling the reuse and recycling of materials within manufacturing processes
- Productivity and Resource Efficiency: Enhancing operational efficiency while reducing energy and resource use
The latest announcement is the second competition set out by the programme, with an additional £1.3 million of seed funding granted last month to 15 projects through the Expression of Interest competition, designed to support consortium-building and proposal development.
Dr. Stella Peace, Interim Executive Chair at Innovate UK, comments: “These collaborations are pivotal to improving the way we make medicines for patients and citizens. Producing medicines more sustainably and efficiently is the right thing to do today and for the future generation.
“By investing in cutting-edge innovation we are continuing our commitment to maintaining the UK’s position as a global leader in sustainable medicines manufacturing, driving growth and making life better.”
Science Minister, Lord Vallance said: “The UK’s life sciences sector has always been highly innovative, and with support like this we can help it drive further progress on sustainable manufacturing: just one of the ways in which this sector will play a valuable part in our Plan for Change.
“Reducing waste and increasing efficiency will also help ensure British life sciences businesses remain competitive, so this £108 billion sector continues to grow and create jobs.”
Karin Smyth, Minister of State at DHSC, states: “This £14 million investment demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the UK is at the forefront of sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Not only are we reducing the environmental impact of medicine production, but creating high-skilled jobs, driving economic growth, and strengthening Britain’s position as a life sciences powerhouse as part of our Plan for Change.
“Through collaborations between industry, academia and our renowned research institutions, we are pioneering cleaner, more efficient ways to produce the medicines that millions rely on, while supporting our net zero goals.”
Joe Edwards, ABPI Director of UK Competitiveness and Devolved Nations, said: “In the face of fierce international competition for life science investment, the UK must work hard to stand out from the pack. Building on the UK’s strengths in innovation and sustainable medicines manufacturing is a key part of this picture.
“The projects announced today show the technological leadership the UK has, and the potential for economic growth if we can get the wider environment and incentives right.”
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