MAC supports the UK commercial bio-medicine manufacturing community by providing an experienced network for members to address issues relevant to the biologics, vaccine, cell and gene therapy sector, to cross-pollinate expertise and best practice.
MAC has a significant presence on the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP), which reports at Ministerial level, bringing the whole UK industry together to drive UK competitiveness in medicines manufacturing, along with theresulting Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Taskforce. The committee is networked into Catapults and UK Centres of Excellence.
The committee has reviewed and responded to a number of manufacturing-related consultations from the European Commission and contributes to the MHRA GMP/GDP Consultative Committee.
2018 Priorities:
Connect:
- 30 members spanning biologics, vaccines and cell & gene therapies cross-pollinating expertise and best practice through networking and site visits
- Network through committee drinks and continued engagement with KTN
Inform/Support:
- Deliver another successful programme for the 2018 bioProcessUK conference
- Contribute to the 2018 UK Bioscience Forum
Expert advice:
- Key pan-industry stakeholder within Life Sciences Industrial Strategy:
- Propose bioproduction initiatives for Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and MMIP Technology & Innovation workstream
- Major role in delivering skills recommendation from the MMIP Advanced Therapy Manufacturing Taskforce Action Plan; support delivery of standards and access actions with CGTAC and RAAC.
- Based on the great success of cohort 1, initiate cohort 2 of next generation of bioproduction leadership programme.
- Represent BIA at the MHRA GMP/GDP consultative committee meetings.
Bioproduction leadership skills programme
The development of managers in the biopharmaceutical and cell and gene therapy industries is an important part of the training landscape to deliver senior leaders of the future. Two key aims of the BIA initiative to support this, as part of MAC’s objectives of connecting, advising and influencing, are firstly to promote cross-sector learning by offering an overview of the work of other companies across biopharma, vaccines and cell and gene therapies by seeing them in action; and secondly to develop a network with peers to share best practice and develop relationships to encourage possible future collaborations. The pilot programme was launched in January 2017 and is scheduled to complete in November 2018. On the back of the success of this, a second programme is already underway, starting in January 2018 with a kick-off meeting at BIA HQ where participants got to know each other ahead of the planned site visits.

1 of 2 MAC Skills Initiative cohort 1

2 of 2 MAC Skills Initiative Cohort 2
Committee Chair: Dr Stephen Ward, Chief Operating Officer, Cell Therapy Catapult
Committee vice-Chair: Dr Kit Erlebach, Strategic and Transformational Venture Manager, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
For more information contact Annette England, Bioprocessing Consultant
Member list
Abzena
Abzena provides proprietary technologies and complementary services in the UK and US to enable the development and manufacture of biopharmaceuticals.
Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London
The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineeering hosts the MBI® Modular Training Programme for the Bioindustries.
Allergan Biologics Ltd
Allergan Biologics Ltd. (an affiliate of Allergan plc.) is a state of the art development and clinical manufacturing facility and is a Centre of Excellence for Biologics development.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major contributor to UK science and innovation investment, economic prosperity and to patient health. The UK is home to the organisations global headquarters and major research and development and manufacturing facilities. AstraZeneca invest over £1.3 billion per year in research and development in the UK.
Asymptote Ltd
Asymptote specialises in cryopreservation and liquid nitrogen-free freezers developed for GMP compliant cold chains for regenerative medicine and biobanking
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established in 2012 as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation.
Cellular Therapeutics Ltd
Cellular Therapeutics is focused on “Personalised cellular medicine” using the patient’s own immune system to be harnessed in order to fight disease.
Centre for Process Innovation
The Centre for Process Innovation is a UK-based technology innovation centre and part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
Eli Lilly
Lilly UK provides research and development, manufacturing and commercial operations on behalf of Eli Lilly & Company a major US pharmaceutical manufacturer. As one of the top UK pharmaceutical companies, we are dedicated to creating and delivering innovative pharmaceutical health care solutions that enable people to live longer, healthier and more active lives.
Envigo
Envigo is one of the world's largest Contract Research Organisations.
eXmoor Pharma Concepts Ltd
eXmoor pharma is a technical and strategic consultancy in biopharmaceuticals, secondary pharmaceuticals and cell & gene therapies. We work in capital projects and GMP biomanufacturing.
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is an industry-leading Biologics Contract Manufacturing Organisation with locations in Billingham, UK and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
GE Healthcare UK Ltd
GE is a global infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world's toughest challenges.
GSK
GSK is a global pharmaceutical company dedicated to helping people feel better, do more and live longer.
Horizon Discovery
Horizon is a revenue-generating life science group supplying research tools to organizations engaged in translational genomics research and the development of personalized medicines.
Innovate UK
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.
Ipsen Biopharm Ltd
Ipsen is a global specialty-driven pharmaceutical company with total sales exceeding €1.1 billion in 2010
Lonza Biologics plc
As a worldwide leader supplying the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with biopharmaceuticals, Lonza furnishes seven different markets with state-of-the-art products, services, and research.
MedImmune Limited
MedImmune is the worldwide biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca with its headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland (US).
NHS Blood and Transplant
The Clinical Translation Partnerships (CTP) was established in 2010 to support scientists bringing new cellular therapies into clinical practice.
NightstaRx
Nightstar is a private biopharmaceutical company, funded by Syncona LLP, an independent subsidiary of the Wellcome Trust, focused on the development of therapies for retinal dystrophies.
Oxford BioMedica plc
Oxford BioMedica plc (LSE: OXB) is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative gene-based medicines and therapeutic vaccines that aim to improve the lives of patients with high unmet medical needs.
Pall Life Sciences
Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL) is a global leader in the high-tech filtration, separation and purification industry. We’ve become an industry leader by helping a diverse range of customers solve complex fluid management challenges.
Puridify Ltd
Puridify offers purification solutions for biotherapeutic manufacturing. Our flagship product, FibroSelect, reduces biotherapeutic manufacturing costs by c.25%.
Purolite Ltd
Purolite is the only globally-acting company that focuses exclusively on advanced resin technologies and has been producing resins for over 35 years.
ReNeuron Group Plc
ReNeuron are a leading, clinical-stage stem cell business. Our primary objective is the development of novel stem cell therapies targeting areas of significant unmet or poorly met medical need.
Roslin Cell Therapies
Roslin Cells are world leaders in the isolation of new clinical grade pluripotent stem cells for use in research and therapy.