BIA submission to Budget 2020

The UK is in a position to lead the world into a new age of technological advances, from gene-editing therapies that could permanently cure disease to genetically modified bacteria that could rid the world of plastic waste. The Government’s focus on R&D and the life sciences sector can deliver these public benefits and build a self-sustaining innovation-based economy by harnessing our competitive advantages with smart policy decisions in the upcoming Budget.

In summary, the BIA urges the Government to use this Budget to:

• Rapidly re-fund and deploy the Biomedical Catalyst to maintain the pipeline of bioscience innovation
• Commit to work with the innovative life sciences industry to unleash British science
• Ensure SMEs are protected and supported through R&D tax credit reforms
• Commit to and expand the £200m life sciences scale-up fund
• Establish the UK as a location for the next generation of medicines manufacturing
• Ensure UK SMEs can make full use of the UK’s influential and progressive regulatory expertise through funding new functions of the MHRA
• Reimburse medicines taking part in the Early Access to Medicines Scheme