Football legend Diego Maradona is excited for his second visit to Kolkata and has already started the countdown.
The highlight of the Argentine's September 18-20 sojourn in the build up to the Durga Puja festival will be an exhibition match with former India captain Sourav Ganguly, titled 'Diego vs Dada'.
"Just 100 days to go for my Kolkata visit and meet 'Prince of Kolkata, Dada'," an excited Maradona posted on his official Facebook page.
According to organisers of the private trip to Kolkata, Maradona will send a pair of "autographed boot" for Ganguly to wear for this one-hour exhibition match which is likely to be held at the Aditya School of Sports in Barasat on the Mahalaya day of September 19.
Colombia football legend Carlos Valderrama is likely to join Maradona in the match which will also see Indian footballers, cricketers, Bollywood and Tollywood celebrities.
"Bhaichung Bhutia, Jose Barreto, Jo-Paul Ancheri and IM Vijayan have confirmed participation. While there will be Manoj Tiwary, Deep Dasgupta from the cricket fraternity. From the Bollywood industry, we are in talks with Ranveer Singh," promoter of the event Satadru Dutta said.
The venue will have a capacity for 20,000 spectators but according to Dutta only 5,000 would go up for sale while the remaining will be booked by the sponsors.
Maradona is scheduled to land in Kolkata on September 18 as he has a host of programmes lined up for him which will include inaugurating two Puja pandals in north and south Kolkata
He's also expected to unveil his statue at a pandal in Lake Town.
UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.
Investment gap
Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.
Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.
Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, noted “The UK can lead globally in medicines and vaccines, unlocking billions in R&D investment and improving patient access but only if barriers are removed and innovation rewarded.”
The UK invests just 9% of healthcare spending in medicines, compared with 17% in Spain, and only 37% of new medicines are made fully available for their licensed indications, compared to 90% in Germany.
Expert reviews
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business, pointed that “The government’s own review shows the sector is underfunded by about £2 billion per year. To make transformation a reality, this gap must be closed with clear plans for investment in people, premises and technology.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold £20,000 to £30,000 per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) — has remained unchanged for over two decades, delaying or deterring new medicine launches. Raising it is viewed as vital to attracting foreign investment, expanding patient access, and maintaining the UK’s global standing in life sciences.
Guy Oliver, General Manager for Bristol Myers Squibb UK and Ireland, noted that " the current VPAG rate is leaving UK patients behind other countries, forcing cuts to NHS partnerships, clinical trials, and workforce despite government growth ambitions".
Reeves’ push for reform, supported by the ABPI’s Competitiveness Framework, underlines Britain’s intent to stay a leading hub for pharmaceutical innovation while ensuring NHS patients will gain faster access to new treatments.
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