Is being located in the UK good or bad for Pharma and Biotech shareholders?

Wednesday 8^th March 2006, Four Seasons Hotel, London

About the event

Britain has the largest Biotech and Pharma industry in Europe. This networking evening will try to gauge the extent to which this is this helped/hindered by UK legislation, available workforce, taxation system, access to capital etc. Also discussed will be the steps that could be taken to improve all of the above and further help the industry, thus also boosting shareholder value for existing Pharma and Biotech businesses as well as encouraging further startups and R&D.

In particular, the following issues will be addressed:

• The availability of funding for Biotech within the UK and how it could be improved
• What could additionally be done by the government to encourage UK Biotech start-ups. i.e. does the tax system need further updating?
• The role of the government and the role of industry in encouraging a 'positive view' of The Pharma and Biotech industry - engaging the public and gaining acceptance about the governance, regulation and use of pharmaceutical products and how this would lead to better shareholder value
• How the industry can demonstrate that products are both ethical and safe
• The role of the NHS in the development of the Pharma and Biotech industry
• Does the UK have a skills shortage in science and what can the government/the Pharma and Biotech industry do to alleviate the situation?
• Attracting skilled employers/entrepreneurs from abroad
• The cost effectiveness of UK research and how the globalisation of research will affect the UK - should most Pharma and Biotechs look at relocating or offshoring?
• The importance of clusters and how they can be encouraged
• Balancing effective regulation with the risk that activities such as R&D will move elsewhere if the regulatory regime is disproportionate
• Additional steps that should be taken to ensure the UK remains a key hub in the Pharma and Biotech industry

Outstanding speaker panel

Lord Sainsbury of Turville - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation Responsible for Promoting World Class Science and Innovation Lord Sainsbury was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation in July 1998, with responsibility for the Office of Science and Technology, Research Councils and space matters. Chairman of J Sainsbury plc and a Director of Giant Food Inc until July 1998. Finance Director of J Sainsbury plc from 1973 to 1990 and Deputy Chairman from 1988 to 1992. David Sainsbury became Lord Sainsbury of Turville in October 1997.

Percy Lomax - Executive Chairman,   ReGen Therapeutics Percy Lomax joined the commercial intelligence department of Allen & Hanbury's, part of the Glaxo Group, in July 1967 and has been involved in the drug industry since then, either as an adviser or an employee. He was stockbroker in August 1987 to the flotation of Medirace Plc, which became Medeva Plc. As a healthcare analyst at Robert Fleming and Co he worked on the second fund raising for Wellcome in 1992. In 1995 he co-founded PolyMasc Pharmaceuticals Plc and was instrumental in its flotation in December of that year. In 1996 he was responsible for the rescue rights issue of Proteus Plc and the flotation of Oxford BioMedica plc. He joined the Board of ReGen prior to the flotation.

Dr Roland Kozlowski - Chief Executive Officer,   Lectus Therapeutics Principal founder of Lectus Therapeutics Limited, Roland Kozlowski was until December 2002 CEO and principal founder of Sense Proteomic Limited. At Sense he raised a total of £5.75m from private equity sources and grew the business from virtual start-up to a company operating with a staff of 30. At Sense he was involved in overseeing all the operations of the business. Under his leadership the company produced the world's first functional proteomics array product. Having developed the scientific and commercial strategy he led the Sense team to conclude a sale of the business to Procognia Limited as part of a $4m financing of the combined businesses in December 2002. Before that, he was pivotal to the initiation and success of Oxford Molecular's Drug Discovery Division where he conducted business development for the company and won a $10m drug discovery deal with Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Corp. (Japan). This deal revolved around a research programme in ion channels. Roland subsequently directed the research on behalf of Oxford Molecular for Yamanouchi where he was responsible for the scientific strategy and direction of the programme as a whole.