More support needed for UK charity-funded medical research

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 396; no. 10263; pp. 1616 - 1618
• Main Authors: Griffiths, Charmaine, Mitchell, Michelle, Burnand, Aisling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 21-11-2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biomedical Research - economics; Cancer; Cardiovascular diseases; Careers; Charities; Charities - economics; Clinical outcomes; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - economics; Drug development; Fatalities; Financing, Government - economics; Funding; Government spending; Humans; Life sciences; Medical research; Pandemics; Patients; Policy research; Public policy; R&D; Radiation therapy; Research & development; Research & development expenditures; United Kingdom; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32397-7

Charities have been part of countless medical advances, ranging from the development of radiotherapy for cancer patients to the use of clot-busting drugs to treat heart attacks and strokes.6,7 The research supported by charities has contributed to halving the annual number of people dying from cardiovascular diseases in the UK since the 1960s8 and to reducing cancer deaths—since the 1980s there have been an estimated 830 000 fewer cancer deaths in the UK.9 But this narrative of progress is imperilled by the damage the COVID-19 pandemic is doing to medical research charity fundraising. [...]AMRC members are projecting a shortfall in research spending of between £252 million and £368 million in 2020–21 alone.11 In October, 2020, the Institute for Public Policy Research projected there could be a shortfall of up to £7·8 billion in UK research and development spending between now and 2027 as a result of the pandemic.12 In this worst-case scenario, an estimated £4·1 billion of the forecasted shortfall would result from the reduction in charity funding, £1·3 billion from a decline in private funding leveraged from charity investment, and £2·5 billion due to a weaker economy.12 The work of medical research charities has already been affected by shortfalls in fundraising income. A survey of more than 500 charity-funded early career researchers in the UK found that four in ten are considering leaving research due to funding concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.15 Morsa Images/Getty Images These factors make the UK Government spending review, expected on Nov 25, 2020, a turning point if we are to improve patient outcomes and ensure the economic health of the UK life sciences sector.