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  • The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
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  • Responding to COVID-19

Responding to COVID-19

Last updated 24 Aug 2020, 11:05

COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 12 March 2020. As a critical part of the health care community in the UK, the pharmaceutical industry wants to play the biggest possible role in the response to this outbreak.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry is working closely with the Department of Health and the NHS on how our members can best support the Government as plans evolve and we adapt to an ever-changing situation.

This COVID-19 hub gives you access to the most up-to-date information for what pharmaceutical companies are doing to tackle the outbreak.

Shortages and supply
What impact will coronavirus have on the medicines supply chain?
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Research and development
What are pharmaceutical companies doing to tackle COVID-19?
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Official information
What Government guidance and advice is available?
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Supporting our NHS
How are life sciences companies helping the NHS on the ground?
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Testing
What is the life sciences sector doing to help increase COVID-19 testing?
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Q&A
Coronavirus: Your questions answered

We represent companies at the cutting-edge of science whose mission is to tackle the world’s healthcare challenges. Our members are in a unique position to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and are already turning their knowledge, resources and experience to developing diagnostics and treatments for the disease.

Pharmaceutical companies have worked to combat a range of infectious diseases such as MERS, SARS, Ebola and influenza. COVID-19 is a new challenge.


At the end of August, there were over 139 confirmed vaccine projects in development globally. 80 of these were in clinical trials.

Draft landscape of COVID-19 candidate vaccines 20 Aug 2020 (WHO)

72% of confirmed vaccine projects were being led by the pharma industry with the remaining 28% by academic, public sector and other not-for-profit organisations.

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery Apr 2020 (doi: 10.1038/d41573-020-00073-5)


Meanwhile there are around fifty projects exploring a variety of vaccine technologies, many of them industry/academia collaborations, and the most advanced entering early phase clinical trials.

Find out more about what pharmaceutical companies are doing to tackle the disease.

As well as experience working with health authorities and regulators to find a fast-tracked approach to bringing safe and effective medicines to market for patients, we’re also working with the Government to mitigate the impact that coronavirus may have on our everyday activities.

Our members are not currently reporting any concerns about shortages of medicines that relate to the loss of manufacturing capacity as a result of COVID–19 restrictions.

There are robust procedures in place to manage the supply of medicines in the UK, and companies will be taking all possible measures to secure supply for patients - in line with Government guidance.

Find out more about how pharmaceutical companies are managing any impact on their supply chains.


“As part of the health community, pharmaceutical companies want to play as big a role as possible in the response to COVID–19.

Dr Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Read more.


 

Developing medicines

  • Building a thriving environment for medicine discovery
  • Responding to COVID-19
    • What impact will coronavirus have on the medicines supply chain?
    • What are pharmaceutical companies doing to tackle COVID-19?
    • What Government guidance and advice is available?
    • How are life sciences companies helping the NHS on the ground?
    • What is the life sciences sector doing to help increase COVID-19 testing?
    • Life Sciences Recovery Roadmap
    • Coronavirus: Your questions answered
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RELATED LINKS

  • Managing medicine shortages
  • ABPI update on the pharmaceutical industry and coronavirus

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The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales 
(registered number 09826787) and its registered office is at 7th Floor Southside,105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT.
Telephone +44 (0) 207 9303477

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Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA)

The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) was established by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry to operate the ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry independently of the ABPI. The PMCPA is a division of ABPI which is a company registered in England and Wales (registered number 09826787) with its registered office at 7th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QT.

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