Responding to COVID-19

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 March, around 20 companies have potential medicines in various stages of development, with at least four existing medicines now in late phase clinical trials.

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.