AI breakthroughs drive expansion of 바카라 사이트楢irlock바카라 사이트� testing programme to support AI-powered healthcare innovation
MHRA opens second round of applications to test cutting-edge AI medical technologies following successful pilot phase.
A 拢1 million boost to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency바카라 사이트檚 (MHRA) pioneering AI Airlock programme will expand access to a first-of-its-kind regulatory testing ground where companies can work directly with regulators to safely test new AI-powered medical devices and explore how to bring them to patients faster, through streamlined regulations.
Applications for the second round of the programme open today (23 June 2025) and follow a successful pilot phase that saw four breakthrough AI technologies, including software that could help doctors create personalised cancer treatment plans, and a tool to help hospitals, AI developers, and regulators monitor AI performance in real time, tested in a regulatory 바카라 사이트榮andbox바카라 사이트� environment.
Similar to an airlock on a spacecraft, the 바카라 사이트榮andbox바카라 사이트� testing space creates a boundary between experimental AI and fully approved medical technology used in the real world.
This initiative builds on commitments in the 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트檚 聽and the government response to the Regulatory Horizons Council report on 聽to enable safe AI innovation through strategic guidance to regulators and enhance their AI capabilities.
This programme is backed by the 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트檚 new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which is supporting regulators to test more agile, flexible ways of working that can keep pace with emerging technologies like AI. By cutting unnecessary red tape and making the UK a more innovation-friendly environment, the RIO is helping to deliver the 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트檚 Plan for Change 바카라 사이트� backing high-growth industries, supporting NHS innovation, and accelerating technologies that can make a real difference to people바카라 사이트檚 lives.
Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:
바카라 사이트淏acking innovation means backing better regulation 바카라 사이트� and that바카라 사이트檚 what the RIO is here to do.
바카라 사이트淪marter, faster approaches like the AI Airlock are helping to cut red tape, bring safe new technologies to patients quicker, and ease pressure on our NHS 바카라 사이트� fuelling the 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트檚 Plan for Change.바카라 사이트�
Health Minister, Baroness Merron, said:
바카라 사이트淎I has huge potential to improve healthcare, and we need to use it safely and responsibly. The AI Airlock programme is a great example of how we can test new technology thoroughly while still moving quickly.
바카라 사이트淭his 拢1 million investment will help bring new medical tools to patients faster and strengthen the UK바카라 사이트檚 position as a global leader in healthcare innovation.바카라 사이트�
Those selected for the next round of the AI Airlock programme will be able to test their AI healthcare products under careful supervision allowing for regulatory challenges to be identified early and adjustments made.
James Pound, MHRA Interim Executive Director, Innovation and Compliance, said:
바카라 사이트淭raditional regulatory pathways weren바카라 사이트檛 designed with AI바카라 사이트檚 unique characteristics in mind 바카라 사이트� including its capacity to analyse large quantities of data and help automate existing manual processes. The AI Airlock programme helps address this gap by creating a supervised testing ground where these novel technologies and challenge areas can be safely investigated.
바카라 사이트淭he technologies and devices which have been evaluated to date have shown the limitless potential of AI to improve patient outcomes, free up NHS resources, and enhance the accuracy and efficiency of healthcare services.
바카라 사이트淲ith AI, we must balance robust oversight with flexibility that doesn바카라 사이트檛 stifle innovation, and this programme achieves that balance.바카라 사이트�
Four projects were selected for the inaugural AI Airlock cohort, each focused on addressing critical healthcare challenges using AI. Among them was health technology multinational Philips바카라 사이트� Radiology Auto Impression project which tested the use of generative AI to automate the writing of radiologists바카라 사이트� final impressions 바카라 사이트� a critical section of radiology reports that summarises key findings from imaging procedures.
Working directly with MHRA experts through weekly meetings, the team gained valuable insights about the need to involve their end users 바카라 사이트� radiologists 바카라 사이트� to help define testing strategies. As Yinnon Dolev, Philips바카라 사이트� Advanced Development NLP (Natural Language Processing) Tech Lead noted, the collaboration with regulators was 바카라 사이트渁lmost unheard of바카라 사이트� and provided 바카라 사이트渁 catalyst for meaningful progress expediting our development activities.바카라 사이트�
OncoFlow, another first round project, looked at the use of AI to help healthcare professionals create personalised management plans for cancer patients, with the potential to reduce waiting times for cancer appointments, leading to earlier treatment and the possibility of significantly increasing patients바카라 사이트� chances of survival. Co-founder Aruni Ghose said the Airlock programme provided his team with the chance to validate the product in a simulated clinical setting and 바카라 사이트減ressure-test it against real regulatory standards바카라 사이트� which has helped the company accelerate its progress 바카라 사이트渇rom idea to a validated MVP (Minimum Viable Product).바카라 사이트�
Rounding out the cohort have been two projects; one by Automedica Ltd, investigating the regulatory advantages of using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technologies with verified knowledge bases and Large Language Models (LLMs); and the other by health tech startup Newton바카라 사이트檚 Tree testing its Federated AI Monitoring Service (FAMOS) to identify and mitigate AI risks in clinical settings, including performance drift or safety issues.
Results from all four pilot projects will be published later this year, providing valuable insights that will shape the AI Airlock programme moving forward and help inform broader regulatory approaches to the effective and safe use AI in healthcare.
Eligible candidates for the second cohort must demonstrate that their AI-powered medical device has the potential to deliver significant benefits to patients and the NHS, presents a new treatment approach, and offers a regulatory challenge ready to be tested in the Airlock programme.
Applications for cohort two open on 23 June 2025 and will close on 14 July 2025.
Notes to editors
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Applications for the AI Airlock programme바카라 사이트檚 second cohort are open from 23 June 바카라 사이트� 14 July 2025. More information can be found at .
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The programme was launched in Spring 2024 and is the MHRA바카라 사이트檚 first regulatory sandbox for AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD) products.
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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that benefits justify any risks.
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The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
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For media enquiries, please contact바카라 사이트�newscentre@mhra.gov.uk바카라 사이트痮r call 020 3080 7651.