BIA CEO Steve Bates responds to the announcement of the Life Sciences Sector Deal

Responding to today’s announcement of the Life Sciences Sector Deal, BIA CEO, Steve Bates, said: “It is fantastic that the life sciences is the first sector to have a deal published and this document showcases a range of investment in to the industry and partnerships working across this exciting and entrepreneurial industry. BIA members are particularly prominent in advanced therapies manufacturing and genomics.

“The sector deal shows government commitment to the agenda we have long led on access to finance, support for start-up and scale-up businesses, Innovate UK funding and medicines manufacturing. The BIA will be involved in the implementation of the deal as a clear voice for small businesses and I look forward to engaging in the planned funding and review next year.”

Many BIA members are also highlighted directly in the sector deal, showing the increasing strength and importance of the UK bioscience sector:

  • Oxford BioMedica’s lentiviral vector platform technology has been endorsed by the FDA through approval of Novartis’s CAR-T cell therapy product, Kymriah™. Continued growth is assured through recent regulatory filings by Novartis in both Europe and in the United States, and with additional OXB strategic partnerships with other organisations, including Orchard Therapeutics.
  • Touchlight Genetics is expanding operations at Hampton, London, with a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility to synthetically manufacture commercial-scale DNA (for gene therapy/gene editing/DNA vaccines) in two weeks, disrupting decades old fermentation approaches.
  • Adaptimmune, with its pipeline of T-cell therapies to treat cancer, has to date raised over £300m and invested in new facilities for its growth and has over 200 UK employees. In 2017 alone it raised $100m

BIA members will recognise many of the announcements from meetings and discussions at BIA events and forums throughout 2017:

  • The Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP) has led on the key initiatives and catalysing major investments in new facilities
  • The Finance and Tax Advisory Committee has shaped the BIA’s input into the Patient Capital Review, which forms the business environment finance commitments in the deal
  • £86m investment to support SMEs through the Accelerated Access Review was announced at the BIA’s joint conference with the MHRA in July
  • BIA members have shaped the BIA’s policy calls for the industrial strategy through surveys, interviews and a dedicated workshop in March 2017   

 

Ends

Notes to Editors

You can read the full sector deal document here

Contact: Ed Sexton, BIA Communications and Media Relations Manager: [email protected]  or call 0207 630 2196

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.

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