BIA heads to Hong Kong and China to explore future collaboration on weekend new US regulations on biotech investment come into force

The UK Bioindustry Association (BIA) is taking a delegation of members to China for BioCentury China Healthcare Summit to promote UK science to Chinese companies and investors to encourage further collaboration between the UK and China, and will be visiting Hong Kong to explore opportunities on their stock market.

BIA members presenting at the BioCentury conference include F-Star, CHAIN Biotech, Scancell, e-therapeutics, Crescendo Biologics and further BIA companies will be attending the conference including Black Belt Therapeutics, Summit Therapeutics, Cambridge Cancer Genomics, Femeda.

The Department for international Trade and the BIA will be hosting the UK Biotech Partnering and Investmenet Reception at the British Centre, 17th floor, 968 Beijing Xi Lu, Garden Square, Shanghai on November 14th at 7pm. The following day there will be a tour of the AstraZeneca Innovation Centre in Wuxi on Thursday 15th.

In Hong Kong, stock market rules have recently changed making it easier for pre revenue companies to list on its stock market. BIA CEO, Steve Bates, will be meeting with InvestHK, Innovation and Technology Commission, Ally Bridge Group and the British Chamber of Commerce.

BIA CEO, Steve Bates, said: “This trip is the centrepiece of the BIA’s ramp up of engagement East in 2018. Building on our China Special Interest Group we are seeking to increase the number of UK biotech companies collaborating with, generating revenue from, and receiving investment from the Chinese market.  In Hong Kong I am exploring how we can jointly build the life science analytical capability needed for global liquidity - and make dual listing - or similar - a practical reality for UK companies seeking investment there.  

“With President Trump’s new Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S (CFIUS) regulations applying to Chinese life science investments into the US on deals that close after this weekend, I am also keen to understand their impact real time on Chinese investor appetite for globally relevant non-US biotech opportunities - like the UK.”

The BIA formed the China Special Interest Group with the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), and supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT), to provide a discussion platform for BIA and CBBC members in the Biotech sector, exploring the opportunities for business growth in and with China, via trade and investment.

Notes to editors

Contact: Ed Sexton, BIA Communications Manager [email protected] 0207 630 2196

For more information on the BioCentury event go to: https://www.bioindustry.org/event-listing/sector-event-listing/biocentury-china-healthcare-summit.html

To attend the UK Biotech Partnering and Investment Reception please RSVP to Nicole Li, [email protected]

For a quick understanding of CFIUS Regulation and its potential impact on Biotech investment readhttps://www.statnews.com/2018/11/02/new-rules-chill-chinese-investment-biotech/

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