New pathway provides UK patients access to cutting-edge medical tech

UK (Commonwealth Union)_ The Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP), supported by £10 million of Government funding, is capable of expediting UK patient access to innovative technologies by providing manufactures and innovators with targeted scientific advice and multi-partner support.

The ambition of this new pathway is to support the rapid development of innovative technologies which can be introduced into the National Health Service (NHS) to address unmet clinical needs for healthcare professionals and patients at the earliest opportunity, without compromising on standards of quality, safety and effectiveness. After an announcement of the IDAP which was made on the 25^th of May 2023, recently the government launched the pilot phase and innovators were invited to submit expressions of interest for access into the pathway.

During the pathway, the partners will offer targeted support to successful applicants which may include the development of a targeted product roadmap, a priority clinical investigation, system navigation advice, joint scientific advice with partners, safe-harbor meetings to discuss NHS adoption, and exceptional use authorization granted by the MHRA, provided that necessary safety standards are met and supported with Health Technology Assessments (HTA) for product realization and adoption.

Director of Health Technology Wales Dr. Susan Myles said that they are proud to be a part of this ground-breaking project which aims to speed up access to innovative technologies for patients across the country. She said, “We need innovators to consider applying for this exciting opportunity and we are hoping to support the successful applicants on their journey throughout their pathway”.

Unit Head of the Scottish Health Technologies Group, Ed Clifton said, “IDAP offers good opportunity to transform access to medical technologies across the UK for the benefit of our patients, the delivery of our health and care services, and our life science sectors. For the pilot phase, the submission opens from the 19^th September 2023 and closes on the 29^th of October.

To be entitled for this programme, applicants must submit devices which do not have a CE mark, UK CA mark or regulatory approval. Products must meet criteria, addressing a significant unmet clinical need as defined in the programme. Candidates will need to demonstrate a proof of concept evidenced by data to a near-final prototype and have already sought clinical input from at least one UK health organization or medical charity. The admission is open to both commercial and non-commercial innovators of medical technology in the UK and abroad.