CEO Update: Monday 22 January

On Thursday we released our joint report with the Medicines Discovery Catapult ‘State of the Discovery Nation 2018’. Launched by Sir Mark Walport at Alderley Park, the report is based on surveys and over 100 in-depth interviews with senior executives of UK drug discovery companies and shows that global R&D productivity is under unprecedented pressure. The BIA, along with the Medicines Discovery Catapult, is committed to working with others to create long-term solutions to these issues, which will drive productivity and further success in the important years ahead.

Last week we also welcomed the release of the AMR Industry Alliance’s highly anticipated first progress report. I was invited to attend a launch event for the report at Chatham House in London, where I spoke as part of an expert and media roundtable briefing and gave my view of the role biotech companies are playing in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. I also took the opportunity to address the barriers that UK biotech faces in translating promising science into tools that can be used to help tackle this threat, such as a lack of pull incentives which prevents significant venture capital investment.

Also last week, we were granted permission by the Supreme Court to intervene in its review of Warner-Lambert Company LLC v Generics (UK) Ltd and Actavis. The review will examine the issue of “plausibility” in patent law and could potentially impact the amount of data and evidence required before an invention can be patented. The BIA has intervened in the case to highlight the importance of the issue to the UK’s bioscience sector

In Brexit news, the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave an update to pharmaceutical companies on Tuesday regarding preparations for exiting the EU. This is a welcome step in providing public clarity on the UK’s current regulatory relationship with the European medicines network of Member States and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and their planned pragmatic approach in establishing UK regulatory requirements for the eventuality of a no deal scenario and no relationship with the network.

The BIA has long advocated for retaining ongoing UK regulatory cooperation with the European Union on medicines to ensure minimal disruption to patient access in both the UK and EU. This is also the UK government’s preferred outcome. We continue to work closely with the UK government, the MHRA and partner organisations across the EU 27 Member States towards that goal.

On Wednesday last week, myself and the BIA team met the latest cohort of participants in the Manufacturing Advisory Committee’s (MAC) Bioproduction Leadership Skills Initiative. The programme was created to support the development of the next generation of bioprocess leaders, as part of BIA MAC’s objectives of connecting, advising and influencing. Over the next two years, they will be attending a series of site tours that offer an overview of the work of other companies in the sector by seeing them in action. If you’d like to find out more about this initiative, we wrote a blog last year covering a previous cohort’s participation in the programme, which you can access here. 

In other news, the IChemE BioFutures programme has launched an industrial skills survey, aimed at increasing the organisation’s understanding of the skills required by the bioscience sector. This will help IChemE to provide the appropriate professional support to the sector and map the process engineering skills needed by employers and the industry in general. I’d urge you all to take the time to complete their survey, which closes on 31 January.

Looking towards the end of a busy first month of the year, on January 31 we will be launching the new China Biotech Special Interest Group, which has been set up 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. If you’d like to attend, the event is free of charge but please make sure to register soon as space is limited.

And finally, the time is nearly upon us for one of the highlight evenings of the UK bioscience calendar -  the BIA Gala Dinner. Taking place this Thursday night at the magnificent Brewery, it promises to be a vibrant and exciting night of excellent food, fine wine and good company. The BIA team has been working hard to make this night a real treat, and we can’t wait to see many of you there.

Best,

Steve.