New report reveals UK has the strongest R&D pipeline in Europe and the UK sector is maturing

 ‘Pipeline Progressing: the UK’s global bioscience cluster in 2017’ launched by the BioIndustry Association and Informa Pharma Intelligence

A new report released today by the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and Informa Pharma Intelligence reveals that the UK has the strongest clinical and preclinical pipeline in Europe. It also shows that more UK biotech companies are maturing and moving through the financing life cycle, with UK biotech company IPOs raising more than twice as much money in 2017 than in 2016.

BIA CEO, Steve Bates, said:

“The UK’s impressive preclinical and clinical pipeline shows the strength and capability of the UK biotech ecosystem to produce fantastic science that attracts talent and funding from across the globe. There is money to be made as this pipeline develops. The Patient Capital Review means 2018 is the year UK pension funds will be nudged into backing this key sector of the future UK economy.

“It is also very encouraging to see that UK biotech companies are scaling and maturing at pace, and the variety of funding options open to them means we can build the third global cluster in bioscience in the UK.”

Key statistics from Pipeline Progressing: the UK’s global bioscience cluster in 2017:

  • The UK has the strongest pipeline in Europe across all preclinical and clinical stages, with 351 preclinical products, 43 phase I, 70 phase II and 15 phase III
  • UK biotech company IPOs raised more than twice as much money in 2017 (£234m) than in 2016 (£105m)
  • UK biotech raised more on the public markets than in venture capital as UK companies matured and progressed through the funding lifecycle with £515m raised in venture capital, £234m raised in IPOs and £452m raised in follow on funding
  • LSE’s Main Market has seen major indirect investment through vehicles that fund the biopharma sector including Arix Bioscience (£113m) and Biopharma Credit (£606m)
  • The 2017 IPO listings on Nasdaq (NuCana plc, Nightstar Therapeutics and Verona) show that there is global demand for UK biotech companies

Informa Executive Editor, John Hodgson, said:

"Despite Brexit, UK biopharma investment is internationalising. London's markets provide cash for biotech globally, UK biotechs access international money, and venture capital has migrated upstream."

The report will be previewed at the Future of Healthcare Investor Forum at the London Stock Exchange on Thursday 25th January, before being formally launched at a panel discussion event at Biotech and the City at Osborne Clarke at 15:30. The BIA Gala Dinner is being held on the evening of the 25th of January, bringing together stakeholders from across the UK biotech ecosystem to network and celebrate sector success stories.

 

Ends

Notes to Editors

Download the full report here.

Contact:

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

John Hodgson, Informa: [email protected] 07506 462 019

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

About Informa Pharma Intelligence

Informa is a leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Its Pharma Intelligence Division provides specialist data, intelligence and insight to businesses and professionals around the world, helping them make better decisions, gain competitive advantage and enhance return on investment. From early phase and portfolio decisions to clinical research and development and commercial planning and analysis, our services include a suite of complementary subscription news, data and analysis services, expert analyst reports and consulting capabilities from the world’s leading pharma and healthcare R&D and business intelligence brands – Datamonitor Healthcare, Sitetrove, Trialtrove, Pharmaprojects, Medtrack, Biomedtracker, Scrip, Pink Sheet, In Vivo.

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