BIO convention is a global opportunity to champion the UK’s successes says BIA

The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) will be attending the BIO International Convention 2019, which will be hosted in Philadelphia, USA, from 3 – 6 June.

The BIO International Convention is the largest global event for the biotechnology industry and attracts the biggest names in biotech, it offers key networking and partnering opportunities, and provides insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry.

The BIA will be joined by companies from across the nations and regions of the UK. The BIA will use this global opportunity to celebrate the UK being the third largest global biotech cluster and explain the strengths and opportunities that brings. The BIA will be championing the attractiveness of the UK for investment and scientific collaboration, highlighting recent success stories and how UK companies continue to be world leaders in a number of scientific fields including Cell and Gene Therapy, Artificial Intelligence and Genomics.

Recent UK success stories include:

1. UK based company Syncona has spent £34m founding a new business that will develop cutting-edge cell therapy treatments to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, while London based Nightstar was sold to US company Biogen for $877m earlier this year.
    
2. The medical research charity Life Arc recently sold its royalty interest in the cancer drug Keytruda for $1.3b and plans to reinvest this money into new treatments.
    
3. Research published by the BIA, found that 2018 was a record of year for fundraising for UK biotech companies and that the UK was the largest European country to receive investment. 

Steve Bates OBE, CEO of the BIA said: “BIO is a fantastic opportunity to show case the excellent and exciting work that is taking place across the UK life sciences sector. We will be championing the UK’s fantastic research and science base, record levels of investment in UK biotech companies and the innovative treatments being created for patients.

“We’re delighted to be co-hosting a UK networking reception which will give us the opportunity to network with organisations, companies and partners from across the world. I would encourage anyone from the UK life sciences sector attending BIO, to join us.” 

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Notes to Editors

• The BIA, along with AstraZenenca, the UK Department for International Trade, Invest Northern Ireland, the Welsh Government, and the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia will be co-hosting a UK networking reception on Tuesday 4 June 6.30pm-8pm at the Museum of the American Revolution.

• For more information on the event or the BIA’s work at BIO please contact Jack Fellows on [email protected]  or 02076302196