The useful question is what changes for users, developers or buyers, and whether the announcement stays industry context or becomes something people can actually use.

The Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), a collaboration between UK regulators and health bodies, has awarded Innovation Passports to two investigational medicines for liver cancer and dementia. The passports recognise products with potential to address unmet clinical needs and provide developers with coordinated regulatory and market access guidance. The ILAP is delivered by the MHRA, NHS England, NICE, the Scottish Medicines Consortium, AWTTC, and the Department of Health Northern Ireland.

Liver cancer affects around 7,000 people annually in the UK, with hepatocellular carcinoma as the most common form. Dementia with Lewy bodies impacts approximately three in twenty dementia patients, with limited treatment options available. The Innovation Passport designation aims to support the development of therapies for conditions where current treatments are insufficient, though final availability depends on evidence of safety, effectiveness, and value.

The ILAP facilitates early interaction between developers, regulators, and health services to streamline the process for innovative medicines. The pathway offers a more efficient engagement model to help speed up patient access to new treatments. Applications for the next ILAP round opened on 4 August 2026 and close on 4 November 2026, with eligibility open to commercial and non-commercial developers worldwide.

The Innovation Passport enables developers to access enhanced regulatory and market access support through a coordinated pathway. The programme highlights the UK’s commitment to accelerating access to potentially transformative medicines, including those for conditions with significant unmet needs such as liver cancer and dementia with Lewy bodies.