NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have launched a new aligned pathway designed to bring medicines to patients faster, with decisions on licensing and value being made at the same time. The process begins on 1 April and is intended to shorten the time it takes for new treatments to move through the system in England and across the wider UK health and care landscape. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
A coordinated route for approvals
According to NICE, the change is part of broader work with MHRA to make the medicines pathway more efficient. The organisations say the new approach will allow NICE’s decision-making to run alongside MHRA’s regulatory process, rather than following it separately, which should help reduce delay for patients waiting for new therapies. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
NICE also said the aligned pathway is being supported by an improved Integrated Scientific Advice service. The agency described the package as a way to give companies greater certainty in planning while helping to speed up access to treatments. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
First treatments already moving through the system
The new framework follows commitments in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, with NICE saying the aim is to get medicines to patients sooner. NICE reported that 27 companies have signed up and that the first treatments are already going through the aligned pathway, with the first guidance expected in June 2026. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
The announcement comes amid continued pressure on the health system to improve speed and consistency in access to innovative medicines. By bringing regulatory and health technology assessment work closer together, the two bodies are aiming to make the process more predictable for manufacturers and faster for clinicians and patients. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
What it could mean for patients
For patients, the most immediate impact should be shorter waits between approval and guidance, especially for treatments that progress through the new process. NICE said the pathway could bring medicines to patients three to six months sooner than before. The first full test of the system will come when the initial guidance is published in June 2026. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
The launch marks one of the more significant procedural shifts in recent UK medicines policy this year, with the goal of improving access without changing the underlying standards for safety, effectiveness and value. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/patients-to-get-new-medicines-up-to-six-months-sooner-under-new-joint-mhra-nice-approval-process?utm_source=openai))
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