Industry-Led Manufacturing Group Welcomes UK Government Investment

A UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) industry-led vaccine manufacturing group has welcomed a recent announcement by the government of the United Kingdom, that it will receive £14 million (US$17.3 million) in investment to rapidly scale up the development of vaccines for COVID-19.

According to an April 17, 2020 press release, the group will work closely with the UK government and will report directly into the chief scientific advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, on the progress of treatments and vaccines. Founded by BIA, the group will consider any vaccines or therapies for COVID-19, irrespective of where they are based, and will help where possible.

The group is a collaboration of private and public-sector companies, as well as academia and universities, and is chaired by Ian McCubbin, OBE, the former vice-president for Global Manufacturing and Supply at GlaxoSmithKline. Current work being supported by the group includes an adenovirus vaccine candidate from the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, and an mRNA vaccine currently being worked on at the Imperial College London.

“[This] announcement will help accelerate the manufacturing capacity and capability of the UK and support vaccine candidates and other COVID-19 therapies, which are needed in this global health crisis,” said Steve Bates OBE, CEO of the BIA, in the press release. “The industry-led vaccine manufacturing group has been working closely with Oxford University and Imperial College London, to assess supply chains and understand what they require to scale and rapidly deploy their vaccines. The UK has world leading science in academia, vaccines, and advanced therapies, and with the government’s announcement, we can begin to create the capability to industrialise for health and economic benefits now, and in the future. BIA is proud to have established this industry-led vaccine manufacturing group, drawing on expertise from across the UK life sciences ecosystem and under the excellent leadership of Ian McCubbin, this project is now an important part of the jigsaw in tackling COVID-19.”  

Source: BIA