Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 July 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 July 2023.

The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, for election as Bishop of Winchester, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Dakin, following his retirement.

Background

Philip was educated at Southampton University and Magdalen College, Oxford, before training for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St James’, Gerrards Cross and St James’, Fulmer, in the Diocese of Oxford, and was ordained priest in 1989.

In 1992, Philip was appointed Vicar of St James’, West Streatham, in the Diocese of Southwark.  Between 1998 and 2006, Philip worked for the Church Pastoral Aid Society during which time he held several roles.  From 2007, he served as Chaplain of St Michael’s, Paris, in the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe and, in 2012, he was appointed Chief Executive of the Church Mission Society.

In 2019, Philip took up his current role as Bishop of Truro. He is married to Ruth, a former strategic planner, and they have one adult daughter.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 July 2023.

Ground-breaking new cancer treatments have moved a step closer with the signing of a major agreement between the government and BioNTech SE.

• Government signs agreement with BioNTech SE to provide up to 10,000 patients with precision cancer immunotherapies by 2030
• NHS England’s new Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad aims to improve access to personalised treatments and clinical trials
• BioNTech SE to set up laboratories and a regional hub in England to support the development of immunotherapies

Ground-breaking new cancer treatments have moved a step closer with the signing of a major agreement between the government and BioNTech SE.

Building on a memorandum of understanding signed in January, the partnership will provide cancer patients with improved access to the latest cancer trials and therapies currently being developed.

The government has signed a long term partnership agreement with the German-based company BioNTech – which previously developed a world leading COVID-19 vaccine with Pfizer – to ensure more patients can benefit from personalised cancer treatments.

This includes UK-based clinical trials intended to help treat patients through the use of precision immunotherapies which work by stimulating the immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells. The aim is to provide access to personalised treatments for up to 10,000 patients by 2030.

BioNTech SE has already begun conducting clinical trials in the UK. Further trials will be launching although the majority of patients are expected to be enrolled from 2026 onwards.

To help deliver this research, BioNTech plans to set up new laboratories in Cambridge with an expected capacity of more than 70 highly skilled scientists as well as a new regional hub for the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:

This landmark new agreement takes us one step closer to delivering life-saving new cancer treatments for thousands of patients right across the country.

The UK is a global leader in life sciences – helping to create thousands of highly skilled jobs and pioneering research – and it is testament to this success that BioNTech have chosen to make this significant investment here today.

Personalised cancer vaccines have the potential to completely revolutionise the way we treat this cruel disease and it is hugely welcome that, thanks to today’s announcement, clinical trials will be rolled out widely

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay said:

This partnership is a huge step forward in the fight against cancer.

By working together with BioNTech on these innovative treatments we can make progress and save lives and I’m excited by the potential these trials have to both treat patients with cancer and those who have had it to stop it returning.

This further demonstrates that the UK is an attractive location for innovative companies to invest and pioneer cutting edge treatments for our patients and underlines this government’s commitment to research and development.

A new Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) led by NHS England in partnership with Genomics England, will help to rapidly identify cancer patients who could be eligible for potential trials.

It will work by creating a database of suitable NHS cancer patients who will be offered the choice to take part in personalised cancer vaccine trials.

The partnership will aim to help patients with early and late-stage cancers and, if successfully developed, cancer vaccines could become part of standard care.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS said:

The NHS will not stop in its efforts to pioneer new treatments that could be life-changing for future generations. This is why we are developing our very first Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, enabling us to identify thousands of NHS patients suitable for cancer vaccine trials – giving them the earliest possible access to cutting-edge technology that has the potential to change cancer care forever.

Thanks to advances in treatment and care alongside NHS awareness campaigns, cancer survival is at an all-time high, but the potential to stop cancer from returning is truly remarkable – and with the first patients set to take part in vaccine trials this autumn, we hope to find a way of vaccinating people against their own cancers and improve their chances of survival.

Trials will focus on personalised mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies – a type of cancer treatment that activates the patient’s immune system and can either be designed to target shared abnormalities in a specific type of cancer or tailored to an individual’s tumour.

Immunotherapies tailored to an individual are created by analysing a patient’s tumour to identify mutations that are specific to that individual’s cancer, then using that information to create an immunotherapy personal to that patient.

The partners involved will work to make processes as simple and effective as possible with BioNTech aiming to start further clinical trials and make potential new therapies available in the UK as soon as possible.

Professor Uğur Şahin, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of BioNTech said:

We are truly honoured to be an integral part of this landmark partnership, alongside the UK government, NHS England, Genomics England, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The United Kingdom’s expertise in genomic analyses in cancer patients is a critical component of our shared endeavour to make mRNA-based and precision cancer immunotherapies widely accessible through clinical trials.

If successful, this collaboration has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with cancer not just in the UK, but also worldwide.

Sean Marett, CMG, Chief Business Officer & Chief Commercial Officer at BioNTech SE, said:

Through the development by the UK of a unified national contract approach for clinical trials that will let hospitals rapidly sign-up to clinical trials being undertaken in the UK by BioNTech, we are hoping to reach many UK cancer patients that wish to participate in clinical trials with new BioNTech investigational cancer treatments quickly and efficiently.

Business & Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, said:

This government is supporting our life sciences sector to be among the best in the world, with no better example than our global leadership in developing and rolling out the first Covid-19 vaccines.

Investment in life sciences is key if we are to become a science superpower by 2030, helping to grow the economy and provide substantial health benefits for the British public and the world.

Patients will be asked by the NHS to consent to be put forward for clinical trials, and surplus tissue samples will be used to assess their eligibility.

The detail of any suitable clinical trials will be made available to the participant and their treating clinical team to see if they would like to take part in the relevant trial.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Chloe Smith said:

I know from personal experience how it feels to face a cancer diagnosis. I was immensely fortunate to benefit from world-leading care from our wonderful NHS. There are brilliant scientists, researchers, and medics working on the kinds of lifesaving cancer treatments and therapies that this deal will deliver.

This partnership is the perfect example of how our £94 billion life sciences sector is improving lives across the country. This deal will anchor high-skilled jobs and investment in the UK. But most importantly, it will deliver better outcomes for patients with cancer in England, ensuring that more of them can go on to live long, happy, and healthy lives.

Chris Wigley, Chief Executive Officer of Genomics England said:

Since the times of Darwin, Franklin, and Sanger, the UK has been a true world leader in genomic science and healthcare. To sustain that leadership, we have to continue to deliver more world firsts, more innovations, and more benefits to patients, both nationally and internationally.

We talk about the Cancer Vaccine “Launch Pad” – the rocket that is being launched is access to ground-breaking personalised cancer therapies that can transform lives and improve outcomes for those affected by this terrible disease. It’s almost hard to comprehend, but there are medicines made just for you, to attack your very own cancer tumour.

We’re thrilled that this partnership will see genomics extend beyond diagnosis and take us towards a future of personalised cancer treatment.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 July 2023.

The Prime Minister spoke to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, this morning.

The leaders reiterated their personal commitment to growing the strong defence and trade partnership between our countries, noting that the pledge from the UAE to invest £10 billion in strategic industries in the UK is being delivered well ahead of schedule.

They welcomed opportunities to further develop economic and technological cooperation between the UK and UAE, including in green industries and nuclear power. The leaders looked forward to working together on this agenda and driving innovation and investment to address climate change ahead of the COP28 Summit in the UAE later this year.

They also discussed international security issues, including Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Iran’s concerning and destabilising activity. The Prime Minister and Sheikh Bin Zayed highlighted the vital importance of our defence and security relationship, including military cooperation and intelligence sharing.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 June 2023.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson to Downing Street this afternoon.

The leaders discussed the strong friendship between the UK and Sweden, including across defence, security, trade and technology.

The Swedish Prime Minister updated on the country’s accession to NATO, and the Prime Minister reiterated that Sweden had the UK’s total support for its full membership of the Alliance.

Reflecting on the situation in Ukraine, the Prime Minister said it was clear they were making progress and thanked Prime Minister Kristersson for his country’s ongoing support to Ukraine.

Discussing wider global challenges, the leaders agreed on the indivisibility of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security and discussed the importance of increasing our cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.

On illegal migration, the leaders discussed the tragedy in Greece, and the Prime Minister said the incident illustrated the gravity of the problem and the enormous misery it was causing. It underlined why it was important to deter migrants from using unsafe and illegal routes, the Prime Minister said.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 June 2023.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, this morning.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 June 2023.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 June 2023.

The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Adam Atkinson, Archdeacon of Charing Cross in the Diocese of London, for appointment to the Suffragan See of Bradwell, in the Diocese of Chelmsford, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath, following his appointment as Bishop of Liverpool.

Background

Adam was educated at Birmingham University, after which he worked in media before training for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St Paul Shadwell, in the Diocese of London, and was ordained Priest in 2008. In 2010 Adam was appointed Priest in Charge of St Peter & St Thomas Bethnal Green in the Stepney Episcopal Area of the Diocese of London.

In 2011 Adam was appointed Vicar of St Peter Bethnal Green. He additionally served as Network Chaplain, Church Revitalisation Trust from 2018 and from 2019 served as Director of Mission Development in the Two Cities Episcopal Area. In 2020 Adam was appointed Archdeacon of Charing Cross.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 18 June 2023.

Ukraine’s recovery must be accelerated through rapid investment and innovation, the Prime Minister will tell a major global summit this week.