CPI in the news in 2023

As the year draws to a close, we look back and reflect on the recognition that CPI and our partners received for fostering innovation — , from the growth of novel food production to pioneering intracellular drug delivery and RNA therapeutics. 

We are proud to have announced the launch of multiple innovation centres and to have seen these achievements recognised by specialist journalists, across regional news, local news and important industry publications. 

All these avenues are important to us. Industry publications reach scientists, decision makers, opinion leaders and other people of influence in the industry as well as the people who might make use of the innovations that are written about, such as patients who depend on potentially life-saving novel therapies being brought closer to market. 

Meanwhile, regional and local news outlets help spread our work to a wider audience of the public, fostering trust and confidence in the role science and innovation plays in improving lives. Media coverage also showcases the wide range of jobs connected to these endeavours, which are important for the regional and national economy. 

Here are some of our media highlights from 2023 and why they matter.

New centres for food and medicine innovation

The launch of CPI’s Novel Food Innovation Centre in Wilton, Redcar, marked a pivotal moment in the UK’s journey towards a more sustainable food industry. This was recognised in both regional and industry media by The Northern Echo, North East Times and Insider Media, as was the centre’s contribution to the creation of sustainable, highly skilled jobs and economic growth in the North East region. This facility, supported by a £2 ‑million investment from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, provides food companies with the resources and expertise to work on ingredients that cut carbon emissions. 

The announcement of our Intracellular Drug Delivery Centre in June made a splash in the pharmaceutical industry media. The groundbreaking new centre, featured in both Pharmaceutical Technology and European Pharmaceutical Review, is designed to accelerate the development of RNA therapeutics and our ability to administer them effectively. It will play a crucial role in overcoming the challenges associated with intracellular drug delivery — the targeted delivery of drugs to diseased cells. The centre is funded by Innovate UK with a grant of £10 million over 3 years, and could boost the accessibility of nucleic- acid-based therapies such as RNA and other oligonucleotides.

CPI’s commitment to the development of RNA therapies and vaccines was further boosted with the opening of our RNA Centre of Excellence in Darlington in September. The event featured in pharmaceutical industry news outlets Fierce Pharma and The Medicine Maker. This cutting-edge facility builds on CPI’s pandemic COVID RNA vaccine candidate experience and serves as a UK hub for the development and manufacturing of RNA-based medicines. The centre’s capabilities extend to emergency preparedness, ensuring the timely production of RNA therapeutics in response to public health crises. 

Innovation in medicine manufacturing

Many novel innovations and technologies are poised to revolutionise medicine and address some of the sector’s major challenges. 

CPI centres operate on a Grand Challenge model where we identify major industry hurdles to be overcome. One such hurdle results from the batch manufacturing of medicines. Batch manufacturing can mean medicine passes its shelf-life if too much is made when demand is low, paradoxically leading to a lack of future availability — in addition to the obvious problem of not being sustainable. More agile solutions are needed. Deborah McElhone, Grand Challenge Lead at our Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, spoke to European Pharmaceutical Review about how continuous direct compression (CDC) line manufacturing can provide a solution, as medicines are manufactured according to demand. The article showcases CPI’s expertise in this area to the industry. CDC can help bring about faster access to oral medication, getting smaller drug batches off the pipeline and into circulation faster for those who need them, especially in times of crisis, such as the pandemic.

The complexity and cost of producing Oligonucleotides – a burgeoning area of therapeutics – is another challenge that can benefit from innovative manufacturing solutions, to ultimately bring the treatment of rare diseases to people who need it most. The announcement of CPI’s collaborative two-year partnership with Intellegens, which will use their machine- learning technology to reduce oligonucleotide development times and improve manufacturing processes, was covered by PharmaTimes.

Securing the future of HealthTech

There are a range of challenges in the HealthTech industry that CPI is helping to address. We have provided a vision for what the future of HealthTech could look like in two reports, published in October this year. Industry news sites Pharmiweb and Med-Tech News featured reports, outlining the need for innovation and a UK Government HealthTech strategy. This was further expanded in a Q&A with CPI’s Director of HealthTech, Rahul Kapoor, also published in Med-Tech News.

Closing the year with battery innovation

With COP28 having just drawn to a close, finding solutions to rapidly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is naturally at the forefront of our minds. 

CPI and its partners welcomed a £12 million investment from the Faraday Challenge to help set up the Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre that will make it possible for the UK to reduce the cost of electric vehicle batteries production, whilst making them more efficient and sustainable at the same time. As the BBC pointed out in its coverage, this development will be crucial in getting more drivers to choose electric vehicles. Business Live UK and Insider Media both highlighted the economic benefits for the UK with a supply chain boost — from labs to car showrooms. 

Throughout 2023, we helped create initiatives, infrastructure and partnerships, demonstrating our continued commitment to innovation that will improve the health of people and the planet. We are incredibly proud that what we achieve with our partners is recognised in the news, allowing us to share our work with both our industries and the wider public.