The LifeSciencesUK initiative will facilitate joint working between the UK’s major human healthcare industries: biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics. The founder members of LifeSciencesUK are the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI), the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA), all of whom will continue to represent their individual sector interests.
LifeSciencesUK will help to strengthen and grow the UK’s vibrant life sciences sector. Key objectives include a drive to continuously improve the investment environment for UK companies, to improve access to new medicines, devices, technologies and diagnostics, and demonstrate the importance of UK life sciences to the UK economy.
As recently highlighted in the Government report, “Strength and opportunity”, employment in both the medical technology, including in vitro diagnostics, and medical biotechnology sectors grew in 2010 and turnover in both sectors also increased. Additionally, the government’s R&D Scoreboard showed that the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector continued to be the largest contributor to R&D in the UK in 2009, accounting for more than 35 percent of all R&D investment in the 1,000 top-performing companies in the UK.
LifeSciencesUK will present a strong, unified voice to the government, allowing for better collaboration with industry across departments, particularly those of business and health, as well as to academia, patient groups, the media and other stakeholders. This will be instrumental in bringing the benefits offered by the life sciences sector not only to the national economy, but also to UK patients in the form of improved and more cost-effective healthcare. LifeSciencesUK is born out of the four trade associations’ collaborative work with the Office for Life Sciences and on other topics of joint interest, such as the recent submission to the government’s growth review.
Peter Ellingworth, Chief Executive of the ABHI, said:
“It is important to both the life science industry and the UK economy that all four organisations work together to ensure that the UK is a fertile environment for life science companies- whether they be large or small, science or manufacturing based. The work done by LifeSciencesUK will complement and support work being done across government by various teams concerned with the life sciences industries and health policy and I look forward to working with them to support the industry.”
Richard Barker, Director General of the ABPI, said:
“Global competition in life sciences is mounting, so we need to ensure the UK’s comparative advantage remains high. By working together, our united force will strive to ensure patients have access to the new medicines and technologies they need. We want the UK to be the number one destination for international life sciences investment. The life sciences sector is a jewel in the UK’s economic crown and will be vital in getting Britain back on its feet.”
Nigel Gaymond, Chief Executive of the BIA, said:
“The launch of this initiative will enable the four associations to present a united and powerful voice on areas of common interest, such as the importance of life sciences to the UK’s economic growth. This will enable us to be more effective in creating a supportive environment for the industry, which will ultimately result in greater healthcare benefits for patients. It is also a further step towards increasing the visibility of the UK as a global destination for life sciences.”
Doris-Ann Williams MBE, Director General of BIVDA, said:
“Over the last two years BIVDA has enjoyed working closely with the other life sciences trade associations. Better communication and coordination between our sectors has been of enormous benefit in highlighting life sciences’ sizeable contribution to the UK economy and its vital importance in improving healthcare in this country. In vitro diagnostics has a central role to play in helping to turn the UK’s inherent strengths in life sciences into economic growth, as well as realising improved outcomes and cost-effectiveness for the NHS. By aligning under the LifeSciencesUK initiative, BIVDA believes that our four associations can better work together to build on the good work we have already started in fully achieving the huge potential our industry holds for Britain.”
Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, said:
“I am pleased that these bodies have come together to form LifeSciencesUK and to help promote the UK as a location of choice for life sciences. I am looking forward to LifeSciencesUK working closely with Chris Brinsmead, the Government’s Life Sciences Business Adviser, to support Lord Howe and myself so the industry can realise the UK’s potential in this area.”
Lord Howe, Health Minister, said
“I would like to welcome the establishment of LifeSciencesUK which brings together four of the main life sciences industries. Life sciences benefit our economy as well as producing innovative drugs and medical technologies to improve health outcomes for patients. This exciting initiative will allow the industries to work closely in helping the NHS provide quality care and improve productivity with new technologies."
For further information, please contact
ABHI – Daniel Jones, Manager External Communications – 020 7960 4375 or daniel.jones@abhi.org.uk
ABPI - Bron Madson, Media Affairs - 020 7747 1410 or BMadson@abpi.org.uk
BIA – Francetta Carr, Director of Communications – 020 7565 7196 – 07711 010 820 or fcarr@bioindustry.org
BIVDA – Doris-Ann Williams MBE, Director General – 020 7957 4633 or doris-ann@bivda.co.uk
The 2010 Annual Update of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Strength and Opportunity report shows that for medical biotechnology there are now 942 companies in the sector with 345 involved in the development, manufacture or sales of therapeutic products. There are 36,700 employees in the sector, an increase of 3 percent, and the turnover increased 18 percent to £5.5 billion. For medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics there are now over 3000 companies with a turnover surpassing £11 billion for the first time. Employment is up by 3 percent and turnover by 4 percent; for diagnostics, employment is up 4 percent and turnover is up 8 percent.
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/s/10-p90-strength-and-opportunity-bioscience-and-health-technology-sectors
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recently published its R&D Scoreboard which reveals that the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector continued to be the largest contributor to R&D in the UK in 2009. Six of the 25 largest investors in R&D in the UK and eight of the 25 largest global investors are pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies. For further information visit: http://innovation.gov.uk/rd_scoreboard/default.asp?p=1
The pharmaceutical sector has over the past decade generated an ever-widening trade surplus, reaching almost £7 billion in 2009. Last year, the sector’s contribution to the balance of trade was the greatest of 9 major industrial sectors. In 2008 the pharmaceutical industry employed around 72,000 people in the UK, with around 200,000 more employed indirectly. A recently published ABPI report outlining the industry’s contribution to the UK economy and beyond can be found on: www.abpi.org.uk
LifeSciencesUK, representing the human healthcare industry
LifeSciencesUK is a new initiative which brings together the UK’s four leading human healthcare industries to ensure the UK is the destination of choice for international life sciences investment. Its membership includes the Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI), the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), BioIndustry Association (BIA) and the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA). www.lifesciences.org.uk
Association of British Healthcare Industries
The Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) is the industry association for the UK medical technology sector. Our aim is to promote the rapid adoption of medical technologies to ensure optimum patient outcomes throughout the UK and in key global markets. Members include manufacturers of medical devices, equipment and consumables and other suppliers to the medical community. www.abhi.org.uk
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) is the trade association for the research-based pharmaceutical industry in the UK, representing companies both small and large. Our member companies research, develop, manufacture and supply more than 80 per cent of the branded medicines prescribed through the National Health Service (NHS). For further information visit: www.abpi.org.uk
BioIndustry Association
Established in 1989, the BIA (BioIndustry Association) exists to encourage and promote a financially sound and thriving bioscience sector within the UK economy and concentrates its efforts on emerging enterprise and the related interests of companies with whom such enterprise trades.
With over 250 members, the BIA supports a wide range of sectors, majoring on the human health benefits of the technology and represents the interests of these innovative companies to a broad section of stakeholders from patient groups to politicians, advancing its members interests both within the UK and internationally to create a healthy UK bioscience sector which benefits society. For further information, please go to: www.bioindustry.org
British In Vitro Diagnostic Association
The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) works to raise awareness of the clinical and cost utility of in vitro diagnostics in the provision of effective healthcare in the UK. The membership of BIVDA currently represents over 95% of the industry with more than 100 member companies. Membership includes UK subsidiaries of multinationals, UK SME's and a number of start-up companies. BIVDA members supply diagnostic tools to the NHS for a range of disease areas, including diabetes and cancer. www.bivda.co.uk
