LONDON, Oct 10 (APM) - The chief executive of AstraZeneca Pascal Soriot has warned that patients in the UK could face delays in receiving medicines unless a common drug-approval system is agreed during Brexit talks.
The Sunday Times reported that Soriot said the UK risks falling into the second tier of priorities for drug developers after the vote to leave the European Union (EU), meaning new products will become available later than they do in the U.S. or the rest of Europe.
"The fact is, companies prioritise the U.S., China, Europe, Japan," he said. "After these four blocs, you have Australia and Canada. The UK would be part of this second wave, so of course it would be delayed in all likelihood."
He and GlaxoSmithKline's chief executive Andrew Witty are co-chairman of a Brexit steering committee that has met ministers to advise on negotiations.
The paper said his comments will add pressure on ministers to priorities the UK's 60 billion pounds life sciences industry during the talks, which are set to begin in March.
Soriot said: "If our costs go up, then it doesn't help us. But it also doesn't help society because our products will become more expensive."
He urged the government to continue funding scientific research if EU subsidies are cut off and to broker a deal on the free movement of scientists.
"These things will be considered, but the question is where they will rank in terms of priorities. Sovereignty is at the very top of the agenda and that leads to a certain series of reactions from the EU, which may get in the way of some of our goals."
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