13 October 2015 - NICE is introducing a new service, the Office for Market Access (OMA), an initiative to work with industry to speed up adoption of new medicines, devices and diagnostics by the NHS.

The landscape for the adoption of new health technologies is changing rapidly. The advent of innovative new schemes, such as the MHRA’s Early Access to Medicines Scheme, that allow conditional and adaptive licensing means that health technology providers are being presented with new challenges. Effective engagement opportunities with key organisations, including NICE, is needed to ensure the industry will develop products with meaningful benefits for patients at a price that is affordable to the NHS.

The OMA will give commercial stakeholders access to a dedicated team at NICE that they can approach for enquiries relating to health technology evaluation. The team will offer tailored support, helping stakeholders to identify the most appropriate journey for their products within NICE. With established relationships with regulators, research organisations, NHS organisations, government departments and healthcare trade associations, the team will also facilitate beneficial interactions with the right people.

Professor Carole Longson, NICE health technology evaluation centre director, said: “Technology continues to transform our ability to predict, diagnose and treat disease. New drugs and technologies – many developed here in the UK with our superb science base – are helping to turn conditions that used to disable or kill people into chronic illnesses.

For more details, go to: http://www.nice.org.uk/news/press-and-media/nice-launches-initiative-to-speed-up-adoption-of-health-technologies