The UK BioIndustry Association, the BIA, is the trade association for innovative enterprises involved in UK bioscience. Members include start-up, emerging and more established bioscience companies; pharmaceutical companies; academic, research and philanthropic organisations; and service providers to the bioscience sector.
The BIA works to further the interests of members and the industry – nationally and internationally. Our heritage of innovation, enterprise and success dates back to our founding over 20 years ago
11th December 2014
The BioIndustry Association (BIA) is delighted to announce that it has selected Antibiotic Research UK (ANTRUK), the world’s first charity formed to tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, as its official charity of the year for 2015.
ANTRUK is a new charity, launched in August 2014, formed by a group of scientific experts from academia and industry to address antibiotic resistance. Over the next five years, the charity aims to raise enough funds to bring at least one new antibiotic therapy to market.
Colin Garner, Chief Executive, Antibiotic Research UK said:
“We are delighted to have been chosen by the BIA as their charity of the year for 2015 in recognition of our pioneering efforts to highlight the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and to find new therapies. As a new charity we are keen to see as many people as possible being made aware about our objective of developing new therapies against antibiotic resistant bacteria. The BIA is a powerful body whose members represent some of the UK’s leading pharma and biotech companies. By being selected as the BIA’s 2015 charity means that Antibiotic Research UK will be made known to some of the country’s most influential and knowledgeable drug developers.”
Steve Bates, Chief Executive Officer, BIA said:
“Antibiotic resistance is a major global problem with significant implications for public health. The biotech industry will play a key role in the solution to antibiotic resistance through the development of new antibiotics, diagnostics and novel therapies.
Today I am representing the BIA at a meeting at the Wellcome Trust to discuss Jim O’Neill’s crucial review on this matter and the BIA will also continue to advocate on this issue on the global stage as part of the newly formed International Council of Biotech Associations. The BIA pushed hard for antimicrobial resistance to be on this agenda and this announcement shows our continued commitment to this issue. We are delighted to be able to support the work of Antibiotic Research UK and raise the profile of this new charity.”
The first event for the partnership will be the BIA’s flagship Gala Dinner on 29 January 2015, welcoming over 600 guests from the UK biotech sector.
Notes to Editors
- Antibiotic Research UK website: https://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk/
- The BIA Gala Dinner, held annually at the Natural History Museum, is the premier bioscience networking event in the UK. For further information and registration details visit: http://www.biagaladinner.org/
Background information
BioIndustry Association
Founded 25 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 and twitter.com/BIA_UK
Antibiotic Research UK
‘Antibiotic Research UK – developing new antibiotics’ (ANTRUK) (www.antibioticresearch.org.uk) is a charity founded in the summer of 2014 by a group of eminent UK scientists, clinicians and professionals drawn from fourteen of the UK’s leading universities as well as a similar number of SMEs and all knowledgeable in antibiotic resistance. The network’s focus was on tackling the impending medical catastrophe of antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is becoming a major health issue in the UK; without new antibiotics coming on stream, medicine could go back to a pre-antibiotic era. The problem has been highlighted by the WHO, the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies and the Prime Minister. The incidence of antibiotic resistant infections is on the rise with 5,000 people dying each year from antibiotic resistant infections in the UK and some 25,000 in Europe. If no new antibiotics are developed in the next 10-15 years then much of modern medicine as currently practiced, including cancer treatment, organ transplantation and premature baby deliveries, will become increasingly impossible.
Finance for the charity’s research programmes will need to be raised from individuals, foundations and trusts, corporate sponsorship and social media campaigns. ANTRUK aims to develop one new antibiotic therapy by 2020 with further antibiotics coming on-stream in the next decade. To achieve our goals we require to raise at least £30 million in the next 5-7 years.
Contact
BIA
Jessica Gray
Communications Assistant, BioIndustry Association
Email: jgray@bioindustry.org
Phone: 020 7630 2197
Antibiotic Research UK
Professor Colin Garner
Chief Executive, ANTRUK
Email: colin.garner@antibioticresearch.org.uk
Phone: 01904 468719
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