According to a University College London (UCL) report, British researchers are being shut out of major European research partnerships because of concerns over a no-deal Brexit.
Brexit, which stands for Britain Exit, was a referendum voted on June 23, 2016, for the UK to stay or remain in the European Union. The decision to leave won by 51.9% to 48.1%. There was originally a decision to leave the EU on March 29, 2019, but a withdrawal agreement between the EU and UK was rejected three times by the UK’s parliament. It was then extended several times and is currently set at October 31, 2019. The UK may leave earlier if a withdrawal agreement is ratified by the UK and the EU before then.
The referendum and the two parties’ inability to finalize negotiations has had an impact on numerous industries, including biopharma. For example, major European drug companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Gilead were stockpiling drugs to ensure there were no shortages.
In addition, many in the life sciences industry and others believe there is going to be long-term damage to the industry. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)warned earlier this year that the UK was in “danger of losing its world-leading research and development status, backed by the country’s two biggest pharma investors, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline.”
This is consistent with the last UCL report, which analyzed EU research funding. The data showed that UCL and eight other Russell Group universities had about 50 large European research collaborations in 2016, but only 20 in 2018.
Michael Arthur, president of UCL told The Guardian, “What we are seeing is we are still participating in European networks, but we are leading less.”
Apparently, if not being outright excluded from partnerships, UK researchers are being asked to keep a low profile because of fears a no-deal Brexit might make success less likely or that if a UK academic is heading an important partnership proposal, the research might not be funded.
For example, Birmingham University was asked to “step down from leading five bids for training networks, funded by the EU’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, in case a UK partner compromises their chances,” The Guardian reports.
Pamela Kearns, who leads Cancer Research UK’s national clinical trial center at Birmingham University, is sponsoring 16 clinical trials, most for childhood cancers, in 21 European countries. She told The Guardian that the Brexit uncertainty has research partners on edge.
“In one recent discussion about a funding bid with very longstanding European partners, it was decided they wouldn’t have a UK partner on the project as it would be too great a risk,” Kearns said.
As a result, Kearns has spent a lot of time in the last year working to make sure that the clinical trials can continue running if Britain leaves the EU. But the universities and hospitals involved have expressed their concern.
The European Commission is focusing on cancer with a new 100-billion-euro research funding program, Horizon Europe, which will follow the current Horizon 2020 program. If Britain exits the EU on October 31, it’s not clear if Britain will be allowed to participate.
“For the UK not to be able to be a partner in a united European approach to making a difference in cancer would be unacceptable,” Kearns said.
An unidentified head of one UK research university, who asked not to be named, told The Guardian, “Leaving with no deal will be a f*%ing disaster for research. We are already hearing that researchers in the EU are being told ‘Why take the risk of partnering with the UK?’”
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