9 February 2012 -- The government’s reforms of the National Health Service (NHS) will have a major effect on the pharmaceutical and biosciences industry, not only in relation to the evolving climate for research and development (R&D), but also in the delivery of medicines to patients. Following a highly successful conference last year, the BioIndustry Association (BIA) and the Ethical Medicines Industry Group (EMIG) are joining forces once again to co-host a one-day event in central London on 1 May which will bring together senior policy makers and experts from across the bioscience and pharmaceutical sectors to discuss the impact of the reforms on the industry.
The conference will examine the key issues in the reforms including: the role of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in the new commissioning landscape; the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) agenda; market access issues including reforms to NICE and new approaches to pricing; and the Cancer Drugs Fund.
Glyn Edwards, Interim Chief Executive of the BIA, welcomed the revival of the collaboration between his organisation and EMIG, saying:
‘The NHS reforms and transition process remains one of the major opportunities – and yet the biggest threat – to both BIA’s and EMIG’s membership. This joint event will explore how the both bioscience and pharma companies should respond to this, focusing particularly on the new commissioning pathways, the changing role of NICE and the ongoing delivery of the QIPP agenda.
‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with EMIG once again in order to continue to foster new business development opportunities across our memberships by facilitating senior level networking. This further reflects the BIA’s ongoing commitment to collaborate with other organisations to foster more partnership working across the life sciences sector.’
Leslie Galloway, Chairman of EMIG, went on to say:
‘EMIG and BIA have, once again, worked closely to design an event that will enable members of both organisations and those from the health and life sciences sector to focus on the challenges and opportunities resulting from the significant changes to our healthcare system. The government’s reforms will create a significant upheaval in how the climate for research within the NHS will change and this event will be vital in enabling EMIG and BIA members to understand and shape the future system.’
For further information, please contact
BIA - Robert Winder, Communications Manager, rwinder@bioindustry.org; 020 7565 7193; mobile 07825 942 934. EMIG – Amy Richards; amy.richards@lexcomm.co.uk; 0207 025 2348.
BIA and EMIG:The New NHS Reforms and the Impact on Industry
The conference will take place on Tuesday 1st May 2011 at the Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG. For further details and to attend the event please see: http://bit.ly/bia59
For further information about the conference and to discuss sponsorship opportunities please contact Jocelyn Rudnick at jrudnick@bioindustry.org or on 020 7565 7167.
Ethical Medicines Industry Group
The Ethical Medicines Industry Group (EMIG) is the biopharmaceutical trade association that represents the interests of over 150 small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) based in the UK. EMIG member companies range from start-ups, whose prime focus is research and development (R&D), to highly developed businesses delivering essential products to patients, while continuing to invest heavily in the fight against disease. For further information, please go to:
www.emig.org.uk
BioIndustry Association
Founded over 20 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
