UK Government and Oxford Nanopore to Launch Pandemic Early Warning System

The UK government has announced partnership with life sciences company Oxford Nanopore to develop a real-time surveillance system aimed at monitoring and preventing future pandemics.

The collaboration involves Genomics England, UK Biobank, NHS England, and Oxford Nanopore—a UK-headquartered firm specializing in advanced genomic sequencing technology. The initiative will expand NHS England's Respiratory Metagenomics programme, led by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, increasing the number of participating NHS sites from 10 to up to 30.

Patients suspected of having severe acute respiratory infections will receive diagnoses within six hours, enabling prompt and precise treatments. The rapid genetic testing will then swiftly match patients with appropriate therapies.

Photo by Tim Dennell

Data collected through this programme will be provided to the UK Health Security Agency, facilitating quicker detection and response to emerging infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance across the country.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting stated:

"We cannot let history repeat itself. That's why this historic partnership with Oxford Nanopore will ensure our world-leading scientists have the latest information on emerging threats at their fingertips. As we embrace the technological revolution, our 10 Year Health Plan will shift the NHS away from analogue to digital, saving countless more lives."

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle added:

"This partnership will build on our expertise to monitor emerging diseases as they arise, putting our scientists and decision-makers one step ahead and providing the information they need to make informed decisions. Together with the ability to better diagnose cancers and rare diseases, we are leveraging UK life sciences to protect the public and ultimately save lives."

Oxford Nanopore's CEO, Gordon Sanghera, commented:

"By working alongside our partners on shared goals of improved patient outcomes—whether in cancer, genetic disease, or infectious disease—and pandemic preparedness, we believe we can deploy our unique DNA sequencing technology in ways that are most impactful for the people of the UK."

The initiative supports the government's 10 Year Health Plan to transition the NHS from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention, aiming to enhance patient care and public health outcomes. It also aligns with the "100 Days Mission" to develop effective diagnostics for novel pathogens, bolstering pandemic preparedness.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency, emphasized:

"Early detection is absolutely crucial in enabling us to respond effectively to any emerging pathogen. This programme will build on our expertise and enable us to tackle developing threats at greater speed."

This collaboration signifies a significant investment in the UK's life sciences sector, expected to drive economic growth and innovation. It follows the government's recent budget commitment of £40 million over five years in a Proof of Concept Fund for spinouts, aiming to nurture innovative companies like Oxford Nanopore, which originated as a spinout from Oxford University in 2005.

The partnership is anticipated to deliver vast benefits to patients, including improved diagnosis and treatment of cancers and rare diseases, and to strengthen the UK's ability to respond to future health threats.

Topics: HealthTech