Opportunity Unlocked: How UK medicine spend policy can free the life sciences sector to drive growth

In this new report, WPI Economics looked at a subset of R&D activity in the UK and modelled the impact of prolonged high medicines payment rates. The report showed that if very high new medicine payment rates of above 20 per cent of companies' UK revenue continue, the UK could lose out on £11bn of R&D investment by 2033. However, if new medicine payment rates are returned to pre-2023 levels of below 10 per cent, such losses can still be avoided.
Last modified: 03 June 2025
Last reviewed: 03 June 2025