The Government has announced over £175 million of funding to create the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world, helping to save lives and improve health outcomes.
Patients with cancer and children born with treatable rare genetic diseases are set to benefit from earlier diagnosis and faster access to treatment, following a £175 million boost to cutting-edge genomics research announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay.
The funding will enable research which could deliver world-leading genomic healthcare to patients, which involves the study of people’s DNA. The boost is part of a new three-year plan to develop, evaluate and roll out new technologies across the health and care system and life sciences sector, bolstering the UK’s position as a life sciences superpower. This includes:
- £105 million to kickstart a world-leading research study, led by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, to explore the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to find and treat rare genetic diseases in newborn babies. For example, rare genetic thyroid hormone conditions, which are not detectable by the routine NHS heel prick test, and can cause developmental and learning difficulties and longer-term health complications without treatment. The study will sequence the genomes of 100,000 babies over the course of the study – which will begin in 2023 – and will gather evidence to consider whether this could be rolled out across the country
- an initial £26 million to support an innovative cancer programme, led by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, to evaluate cutting-edge genomic sequencing technology to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis for cancer patients and use artificial intelligence to analyse a person’s DNA, alongside other information such as routine scans
- £22 million for a programme, led by Genomics England, to sequence the genomes of up to 25,000 research participants of non-European ancestry, who are currently under-represented in genomic research, to improve our understanding of DNA and its impact on health outcomes. This will help reduce health inequalities and level up patient outcomes across all communities.
The government has also today announced up to £25 million of UKRI-MRC funding for a UK-wide new initiative on functional genomics, an area of genomic research which uses molecular tools such as gene editing to improve understanding of how genetic variation leads to disease and support smarter diagnostics and the discovery of new treatments. The Life Sciences Vision set out in 2021 commits to delivering a world-class offer on functional genomics and the UK is in a strong position to become a leader in this area.
These announcements will build on the world-leading work of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.
Genomics England will partner with NHS England (NHSE) to test new genomic sequencing technology for faster, more accurate cancer diagnosis. Working with NHSE and the National Pathology Imaging Co-operative, Genomics England will also combine imaging, genomic and clinical data to better diagnose and predict the progress of a patient’s cancer.
To overcome the lack of diversity within genomic data, Genomics England will expand a range of programmes to build trusting relationships with traditionally excluded groups of people, such as patients with sickle cell disease who are unrepresented in research studies, alongside developing tools to enable doctors and researchers to better interpret genetic variations and make more informed decisions about patient care. This will help tackle health inequalities and improve patient outcomes within genomic medicine.
NHSE National Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “The NHS is a world leader in genomic medicine, and through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service we are already transforming the lives of thousands of patients with cancer and rare diseases by harnessing the latest technologies to deliver faster and more accurate diagnoses, more effective treatments and predicting and preventing certain conditions. This project has the potential to provide yet more powerful tools for NHS teams as they work to save lives and improve life chances for patients, alongside the testing and treatment options that the genomics programme has already provided.
“As set out in the government’s genomic healthcare strategy, Genome UK, the ambition is to create the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world. This will be underpinned by the latest scientific advances and engagement with patients and the public, developing the genomics workforce and supporting industrial growth. This will deliver better health outcomes at lower cost alongside commitments to enable more rapid diagnosis.”
