CEO Update - 2 October 2023
ICBA to Geneva
I’m part of the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA) delegation to Geneva this week to ensure our sector views on the WHO’s Pandemic Preparedness Accord and the proposed expanded TRIPS waiver for therapeutics are understood by global policymakers. The UK’s RQ Bio are an exemplar organisation chosen to represent SMEs on this delegation, as their work on COVID-19 therapeutics clearly demonstrates the value of SMEs to the pandemic preparedness ecosystem.
Why does this matter? By May 2024, the 194 member states of the WHO aim to finalise negotiations on a new international instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The exact nature of the instrument is still to be determined, which could include a binding treaty or another type of voluntary agreement. We’ve been contributing the small company perspective to industry advocacy efforts. The next draft is on 16 October followed by the “negotiating” text phase until Christmas.
At the same time, the TRIPS discussion is waiting for the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) report on potential impacts of the expansion on U.S. pharmaceutical innovation. The USITC’s report is expected by mid-November and will inform the U.S. position on the waiver. There will be a lot of negotiations until the key Ministerial meeting at the WTO taking place at the end of February in Abu Dhabi, called MC13. The good news from a UK perspective is that the UK delegation here is fully aware of the issues and can bring the experience of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to the policy table. More on this in the weeks to come.
Evotec’s grand opening
It was an honour to be at the Grand Opening of Evotec’s new facility, Building 95, on the Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Campus at Milton Park last week. Evotec has had a presence in Abingdon since its acquisition of Oxford Asymmetry International plc in 2000 and today is one of the largest occupiers at Milton Park. It was great to trace the lineage of UK life science to Evotec’s new state-of-the-art biology laboratories, a range of collaborative workspaces and meeting rooms as well as a restaurant for employees. The ceremony was also attended by Elizabeth Hodgkin, daughter of British Nobel Prize-winning chemist Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, after whom Evotec’s campus in Abingdon is named. It was great to hear Dr. Werner Lanthaler, Chief Executive Officer of Evotec explain that the site has been pivotal for Evotec’s success as a whole, in what is now a key European and global company.
BIA out in force at political conferences
It’s the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester this week and we are hosting a fringe event focusing on engineering biology. Entitled ‘Innovating for a sustainable future: can biotechnology save the world?’, we are showcasing the innovation taking place in UK SMEs and asking how the power of biology can solve humankind’s greatest challenges.
The BIA are on the ground in Bournemouth, Manchester, and Liverpool, getting a sense of the hot topics in politics right now and flying the flag for UK life sciences. Read a blog by BIA’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Dr Martin Turner, for an update on the Liberal Democrats conference, and stay tuned for updates on the Conservatives and Labour as we look ahead to the next general election.
Guide to Government
This party conference season marks the real beginning of the general election warpath, with Labour and the Conservatives developing the manifestoes that they will put to the electorate. Following on from Keir Starmer’s reshuffle last month, our updated Guide to the Government includes an overview of the current state of play, a look ahead to the election, and profiles of the key Ministers and Shadow Ministers for the life sciences.
The Future of UK Regulation conference - last chance to book
I’m really looking forward to our regulatory conference on Thursday – not just because of the wonderful community of regulatory science professionals that will be there but also because I think we’re at a critical turning point for the MHRA. I think we can now put the challenges of the summer in the rearview mirror and I’m excited to see how the new team want to focus the agency’s opportunity in the future.
Steve Bates OBE
CEO, BioIndustry Association
