Action Medical Research for children named BIA Charity of the Year 2019

The BioIndustry Association has today announced that Action Medical Research for children will be its Charity of the Year for 2019. The partnership will be formally launched at the BIA Gala Dinner on 24 January 2019. Proceeds from a silent auction, table donations and pledges on the night will be donated to Action Medical Research for children, and attendees will hear from Simon Harriss, dad to 10-year-old Lily who has a devastating neurological condition called BPAN.

Action Medical Research was established in 1952 and has been funding medical breakthroughs since then such as helping develop the polio and rubella vaccines, and ultrasound scanning in pregnancy. Current areas of research into childhood disease funded by the charity include asthma, autism, brain cancer, epilepsy and meningitis. The charity is funding over 65 projects at leading hospitals, specialist centres and universities around the UK.

The BIA will be working with Action Medical Research for children to support the charity in its mission to fund the very best research most likely to make a difference in the lives of sick babies, children and young people and promote links with biotech companies carrying out R&D.

BIA CEO Steve Bates said: “We are delighted to be working with Action Medical Research for children, a charity which has played a significant role in medical breakthroughs for sick babies and children in the UK for over 65 years. Starting with funding to help develop the polio vaccine in 1952, Action Medical Research for children has a history of identifying research of the very highest calibre, and the BIA look forward to supporting the charity as they build on this work, connecting them to many of our member companies who share similar values.”

Action Medical Research CEO, Julie Buckler said: “We’re thrilled that BIA has chosen Action Medical Research for children as their Charity of the Year for 2019. We look forward to working with BIA over the coming months to raise awareness and to support research to help develop treatments, vaccinations and cures for sick babies, children and young people.”

ENDS
Notes to Editors

Contact 
Joanne Duffy | Communications Executive | 02076302183

About the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA)
Established over 25 years ago at the infancy of biotechnology, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) is the trade association for innovative enterprises involved in UK bioscience. Members include emerging and more established bioscience companies; pharmaceutical companies; academic, research and philanthropic organisations; and service providers to the bioscience sector. The BIA represents the interests of its members to a broad section of stakeholders, from government and regulators to patient groups and the media. Our goal is to secure the UK's position as a global hub and as the best location for innovative research and commercialisation, enabling our world-leading research base to deliver healthcare solutions that can truly make a difference to people's lives. For further information, please go to www.bioindustry.org and twitter.com/BIA_UK

Action Medical Research is a leading UK-wide charity saving and changing children’s lives through medical research. For more than 65 years we’ve helped pioneer ways to prevent disease and develop treatments benefiting millions of people. Our research has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound in pregnancy, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. But we urgently need to develop more new treatments and cures for sick babies and children and we can’t do it without you.
For further information visit https://www.action.org.uk/