The UK has launched The Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot, a new pathway to support the rapid development of innovative technologies. The IDAP pilot, launched on the 19th September, is supported by £10 million of UK Government funding, providing innovators and manufacturers with multi-partner support and targeted scientific advice.
The aim of pathway is to support the rapid development of innovative technologies that can be introduced into the UK National Health Service (NHS) to address unmet clinical needs for patients and healthcare professionals at the earliest opportunity, without compromising on standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness.
IDAP is presently in a pilot phase and applications are open until 29th October 2023.
Applications, presently limited to up to eight innovative devices, can be submitted by manufacturers seeking to develop and commercialise an innovative device in the UK. Those who are successful can expect to receive regulatory and market access advice and importantly support from the IDAP partners which includes the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Throughout the pathway the partners will offer targeted support to successful applicants which may include:
- The development of a targeted product roadmap
- System navigation advice
- A priority clinical investigation
- Joint scientific advice with partners
- Support with Health Technology Assessments (HTA) for product realisation and adoption
- Safe-harbour meetings to discuss NHS adoption
- Exceptional use authorisation granted by the MHRA, provided necessary safety standards are met
This device-related pathway builds on the UK’s intention to develop an end-to-end pathway for innovation. The Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (“ILAP”) for medicines is already in place for those operating in medicinal development and now with IDAP we are seeing an equivalent for medical devices. This is a really welcome addition to the support available for developers in the device space.
For more information on IDAP visit: Government to invest 30 million in innovative technology for NHS or to discuss this or other device-related support please get in touch.
