BioPartner.co.uk
PRESS RELEASE
30 JULY 2010
For Immediate Release
BIOPARTNER FORUM SOUNDS OUT INTERNATIONALISING COMPANIES
The BioPartner Annual Discussion Forum and Dinner was held on the 8th July at Ettington Park Hotel
near Stratford on Avon, UK.
Life science executives from across the UK joined a panel of experts to discuss ‘Internationalisation –
how, when and where?’ UK BiotechNet’s Meredith Lloyd-Evans chaired the afternoon Discussion Forum.
The Discussion was led by Matthew Walls, CEO of Epistem, John Hall, Chairman of the Translational
Medicine Research Initiative and Jolyon White, Life Science Technology Broker at LTN.
The panel sparked a lively and wide-ranging debate about internationalisation.
Without exception, delegates were involved internationally, for reasons both positive and negative. In the
main, companies wanted access to broader markets, plus collaborations and partnerships with overseas
firms, especially with the UK affected by recession and dearth of investment funding. With large
pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer closing their in-house research facilities and outsourcing R&D,
this opens up a significant range of possibilities for smaller biotechs.
Negatives included funding difficulties. In the current climate, UK funders have no appetite for risk,
leading companies to seek capital abroad. This can result in companies moving overseas to be near
their fund sources. The difficulties of selling into the NHS, a prime market for UK healthcare companies,
were cited as a reason to look elsewhere. Ostensibly one organisation, the NHS is in fact fragmented,
each authority or trust interpreting the rules in their own way and demanding separate approaches to win
business.
There was unanimous agreement that companies had to espouse cultural awareness – ‘intercultural
fluency’ - in dealing with overseas customers. UK Trade and Investment’s specialists embedded in
embassies and consulates around the globe drew praise for their role in helping UK exporters break into
new markets. But there is concern that government spending cuts will adversely affect this service.
The forum was followed by the Biopartner.co.uk Annual Dinner. UK BiotechNet’s chairman Mike Bennett
introduced guest speakers Nigel Gaymond, CEO of the BioIndustry Association (BIA), and Dr Mark
Treherne, CEO of Cambridge-based Senexis, which focuses on neurological diseases. Nigel Gaymond
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outlined his newly-appointed role as CEO and future plans, including co-locating the BIA and kindred
organisations under one roof to maximise effectiveness. Mark Treherne spoke of the cultural change he
had experienced moving from a multinational to a small company, and funding issues driving small
companies to internationalise their research through outsourcing.
The dinner was sponsored by UK BiotechNet and Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Mike Bennett said: “Clearly, we are not immune to what is happening in the UK and elsewhere, but the
event manifested a very positive outlook in the industry and evidenced the breadth of global opportunity
for UK biotechnology.”
Ends
For further information contact:
Nigel Wild, UK BiotechNet Executive 01993 830661(W), 07860 188780(M),
nigel.wild@biotechnet.co.uk
Lin Bateson, BioPartner Executive 01865 784 737
lin@biopartner.co.uk
Notes for Editors
About BioPartner.co.uk
BioPartner.co.uk creates opportunities for international biotechnology business partnering, working with
a range of clients in the private and public sector to organise partnering events, international projects
and delegations. BioPartner support includes strategic consultancy, research and reports.
Biopartner.co.uk’s partnering software, Mojo, provides a powerful, effective tool that, matched with
BioPartner’s extensive industry contacts, provides a professional, personal and skilled approach to the
task of putting the right people together for business advantage.
Contact: Lin Bateson
Email: lin@biopartner.co.uk
Phone: 01865 784 737
Web: www.biopartner.co.uk
About UK BiotechNet
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The UK BiotechNet consortium is a group of biotechnology professionals with complementary expertise
providing appropriate, professional, discreet, expert services to life science companies across the globe.
Fields of activity include human, animal, agricultural and industrial biotechnology. The consortium is
particularly effective in leveraging the knowledge and experience of its experts to bring projects to the
next stage of development. UK BiotechNet was founded by BioPartner.co.uk and Nigel Wild Associates.
Contact: Nigel Wild
Email: nigel.wild@biotechnet.co.uk
Phone: 01993 830561
Web: www.biotechnet.co.uk
Panel Profiles
Meredith Lloyd-Evans - chairman
Meredith Lloyd-Evans is Managing Director of BioBridge Ltd. He began his career as a veterinarian, then
joined SmithKline Animal Health UK Ltd and became the Technical Director UK and Co-ordinator for
veterinary pharmaceutical product development in Europe. He has worked in technology transfer and
licensing with the British Technology Group, responsible for a portfolio of inventors, patents, projects and
commercial licenses in biotechnology and biomaterials as well as animal health. BioBridge, established
in 1989, has evolved from a sole tradership through partnership to a limited company with a wellestablished network of associates. BioBridge is active in Japan, USA, Latin America and Europe and
works in all areas of bioscience-based business activity.
John Hall
John Hall is Chairman of TMRI (Translational Medicine Research Initiative), Glasgow, Scotland, and cofounder of Leader Partners which provides a platform for the delivery of consulting and training services
to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and contract research sectors. He is also a member of the Scottish
Life Sciences Advisory Group and the NHS Scotland Chief Scientist Committee. He has over 30 years’
international experience in these industries at a senior executive level.
Matthew Walls
Matthew joined Epistem in February 2007 as Chief Executive Officer. Matthew is an experienced CEO,
most recently with Oxford BioSignals Limited where he led the strategic 'diagnostic' collaboration with
Rolls Royce Plc and Covance Inc and completed the recent fundraising and repositioning of the medical
diagnostic business to the United States. Matthew has led the growth and development of several
technology and biotechnology companies as CEO including Internexus Limited and Zylepsis Limited.
Matthew holds a non-executive role at Riyada Oxford Investments Limited. Epistem is a leader in the use
of epithelial stem cells for biomarker-based pre-clinical research and development of novel therapeutics.
Jolyon White
Jolyon is a Technology Consultant specialising in life sciences, and works with London University
departments in biological sciences, clinical laboratory sciences, life sciences and pharmacology, helping
to match expertise with commercial needs for the effective exploitation of knowledge. For the last 15
years, Jolyon has worked in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, holding posts variously in
Quality, Technical/Project Management, General Management and for the last 8 in Business
Development. He has a wealth of experience as a business manager in the areas of B2B and
international sales, Corporate Strategy development as well as in the complex area of business-NGO
interactions.
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