The current version of the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) was first launched by the UK government in January 2021, shortly after the Brexit transition period came to an end. Its aim was to be a new, accelerated route to bring innovative medicines to the UK market, through facilitating a streamlined and efficient collaboration between developers, regulators, the UK Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies and the NHS, and facilitating enhanced patient access to medicines.

While ILAP has received an unprecedented number of applicants, with 166 Innovation Passports having been awarded since its launch, there have also been criticisms, including delays in considering applications and limited coordination with the NHS and HTA bodies, which slows the adoption of ILAP products. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) is therefore relaunching a renewed version of the scheme to “refine and refresh” the process.

It is hoped that the improvements will make for a quicker and more effective path for transformative medicines to be adopted into the UK market, reducing time to patient access and making the UK a more desirable market to launch innovative products.Continue Reading The UK Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) to enter a new era