The Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team (BIGT) report, 'Bioscience 2015: Improving National Health, Increasing National Wealth' was released in November 2003. The report details the current state of the UK bioscience sector (concentrating on healthcare applications) and sets out a wide-ranging vision for the future and includes many innovative recommendations with which to challenge Government and industry. One of its conclusions was that a more proactive stance is needed within Europe to shape future regulations and ensure they are acceptable to the UK. It recommended the creation of a Bioscience Risk Assessment Forum now called the Bioscience Futures Forum (BFF), under the auspices of the Bioscience Leadership Council (BLC), which is headed by Sir Richard Sykes.
Dr Gill Samuels CBE, previously Executive Director of Science Policy & Scientific Affairs (Europe) at Pfizer leads the work of the BFF and is chair of the expert group. The expert group brings together people with a variety of backgrounds and experience.
The following people are currently members of the expert group:
- Dr Simon Best - Chairman Ardana Ltd
- Dr Peter Cochrane - Co-Founder ConceptLabs C A
- Jeremy Curnock Cook - Executive Chairman, BioScience Managers Limited
- Dr Roger Highfield - Science Editor, The Daily Telegraph
- Andrew Freeman - Head of R&D Policy, GSK
- Dr David Slavin - Global Head of Benefit & Risk Technologies, Pfizer Inc.
- Judy Larkin - Founding Partner, Risk Principals
- Geoff Lee - Director of Global Strategic Policy, GE Healthcare
- Professor David J Webb - Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Registrar for the ACMS (Academy of Medical Science)
- Dr Tim Lewens - Senior Lecturer Department of History and Philosphy of Science, Cambridge University
- Dr Andy Richard - Director of Vectura plc, Biowisdom, Daniolabs, Theradeas, Cancer Research Technology Ltd and Babraham Bioscience Technology Ltd
- Dr Ian Weatherhead - Head of UK Corporate Communications / Global Head of R&D Communication, UCB Celltech
The work of the group is observed by Ailsing Burnand - Chief Executive of the BioIndustry Association and Sarah Haywood Director of Bioscience Unit, Department of Trade and Industry.
The BFF will monitor and assess emerging issues, develop issue management strategies, and anticipate areas where regulation may be needed. The expert group will horizon-scan across bioscience advances and consider the ethical, social and regulatory questions, which they raise. The group will adopt a proactive approach to bioscience regulation and reputation management, and aim to shape the UK and EU environments of the future.
The BioIndustry Association (BIA), which is the trade association for innovative enterprises in the UK's bioscience sector, will provide the secretariat for the BFF, including organising expert and working group meetings over the year. Further information can be obtained from Marco Pisano at the BIA (mpisano@bioindustry.org).
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