BIA update – 30 March 2026
I’m pleased to share that we are part of a new Government and industry joint taskforce to drive innovation in the UK’s commercial environment for medicines, announced last week as part of government ambitions for the Life Sciences Strategy. BIA is contributing directly as part of the oversight group and facilitating member input throughout the process.
Last week also saw movement on Government’s Pandemic Preparedness Strategy, with BIA playing part in a substantial exercise which highlighted the integral role our community had to play in bringing us out of the dark days of COVID-19.
Jane Wall
Managing Director, BIA
Last Thursday, it was deeply satisfying to welcome 26 awe-inspiring leaders to the first cohort of She Steers, NEDs in Biotech, a programme designed to support women in life sciences into their first Non-Executive Director roles. Collaborating with AZ, Murray Edwards College and Deloitte, we hope this scheme will bring about the change we urged in our Women in biotech leadership: one year on report.
Life sciences commercial environment taskforce
We are part of a new Government and industry joint taskforce to drive innovation in the UK’s commercial environment for medicines. I am contributing directly through the oversight group, and BIA is facilitating member input throughout the process.
The taskforce is taking the form of a sprint process with companies to consider options for accelerating progress towards the government’s ambitions for the UK to be the third most important life science economy by 2035. BIA has long argued that creating a better, broader commercial environment is vital to the UK being able to attract investment and scale innovation, and we are ensuring that views from our commercial-stage members are taken into account.
It’s important to make the case that, in addition to attracting and retaining global pharma, we should also now recognise the views of companies that have started and scaled here – and we must create a commercial environment that keeps them based here, as well as enabling international market expansion. With innovative medicines and technologies coming thick and fast, we need equally innovative approaches to creating a conducive commercial ecosystem that supports their development and success.
Pandemic Preparedness Strategy
The Government’s new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy rightly reflects what our sector proved during COVID‑19: the UK’s life sciences community is a national strength, and our members were central to every stage of the response. The strategy’s Guiding Principles directly align with capabilities our ecosystem delivered in real time – flexible infrastructure, the ability to scale rapidly from early detection through to deployment and the R&D excellence needed to accelerate vaccines and therapeutics.
The focus on enhancing access to clinical countermeasures speaks directly to our members’ strengths. Our Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership group, along with other members, has inputted to the development of this strategy.
Government commitments to build UK onshore manufacturing capacity, through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, which BIA helped shape, and partnerships like the UK RNA Biofoundry, reinforce the role our scaling and commercial-stage members play in national resilience, even if no new funding has yet been announced.
Alongside our members, including Oxford Nanopore, MSD and the Serum Institute of India, BIA took part in a large all-day industry workshop last week arranged by the UK Health Security Agency to walk through the government-industry response, if and when another pandemic occurs. As ever, BIA will continue to ensure your expertise and needs are at the forefront as the UK builds a forward-looking, agile preparedness system.
The change our sector needs: She Steers
The data that BIA collected on gender equity at senior levels in the sector over the past four to five years has really driven action and a laser-like focus on what needs to change. The launch of She Steers last week is the culmination of this drive – with a cohort of 26 extraordinary female leaders, already bringing a mind-blowing collection of industry experience – but now putting themselves forward for some board-readiness and an introduction to the investors and recruiters who can help facilitate change. We are always told of the lack of commercial and clinical experience here in the UK but I was pretty overwhelmed with the incredible breadth and depth of biotech and pharma experience on display in this cohort. Looking forward to seeing the programme roll out through the Spring.
The fabulous initiative got the coverage it deserves in PharmaVoice last week, when I was interviewed on the challenges facing women in innovative life sciences and biotech.
Biosolutions make waves across UK fashion
Great news that biorecycling startup and BIA member Epoch Biodesign raised $12 million in a new funding round – including a healthy injection from athletic apparel company lululemon – aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of its recycled nylon technology. The funding round brings Epoch Biodesign’s total capital raised to more than $50 million. Founded in 2019, London-based Epoch sits at the cutting edge of AI, biochemistry, materials science and process engineering to develop enzymes capable of breaking down materials such as PET, nylon and polyester at low temperatures.
The news comes alongside the launch of BIA BioSolutions, the space where engineering, biology, innovation and industry converge to support companies to grow, scale and succeed. We are also looking ahead to our flagship event, BioSolutions UK, on 21 April in London – grab your tickets now for this fast-selling, innovative event. See you there!
Lifeline
It’s not very often that we get to legitimately flag the Arts in this blog, but we are excited about going to see Lifeline - Southwark Playhouse Elephant in a couple of weeks’ time (not least because BIA’s own Maddy Anderson will be performing!). Covered by The Guardian and on the Today programme, the play is a unique coming together of the arts, science and politics to highlight the crucial role of antibiotics through their discovery to today’s urgent challenges around anti-microbial resistance (AMR).
