Now is the time for a "big push" to improve the environment for biotechnology in the UK, says Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"To allow the biotech industry to get some strength in research out of the NHS [National Health Service] is something we need to look at in this country," Blair commented before meeting with representatives from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Amgen and other companies at Amgen's new European headquarters in Uxbridge.
On the agenda was how to maintain the UK's competitive edge in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Assuring the assembled business leaders that he was "here to listen", Blair stated: "We need to get the policy right, so I need to know what you want me to do." The prime minister will be asking Sir David Cooksey, chairman of the Clinical Research Collaboration Industry Reference Group, to review the progress made since his 2003 report on the challenges facing biotechnology in the UK.
Blair believes industry and the government have now curbed the actions of animal rights extremists that threatened to undermine the UK's research base. He also underlined his support for stem cell research. The discussions in Uxbridge covered the cost of clinical trials, strengthening links with universities, and funding for biotechnology.
The BioIndustry Association (BIA) said the meeting was "incredibly positive from all around the table", and that the Prime Minister's leadership on creating the right policy climate for biotech had "reverberated across the sector".
Source: PharmaTimes
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