OBN's Powerful New 2020 Vision Group to Address Sustainable Growth of Biomedical R&D Companies

ABINGDON, England, July 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

OBN, the membership organisation supporting and bringing together the UK's emerging life sciences companies, corporate partners and investors, has announced the formation of a powerful new "thought and action" leadership group. The "OBN 2020 Vision Group" comprises 15 senior industry professionals and has been tasked with generating new ideas to support the emergence and sustainable growth of life sciences R&D companies.  

The Group will develop innovative solutions designed to overcome the core restrictions identified as preventing the most effective translation of the science-base from bench to bedside, taking direct input from OBN's 237 industry member companies. It intends to publish its first proposals in a white paper early in 2014. The Group is funded by OBN Supporter Members.

Jon Rees, CEO of OBN, said, "For many of our members, the so-called 'Valley of Death' funding gap remains their most significant challenge. In response to their concerns we have assembled a diverse group of thought leaders deeply familiar with the unaddressed restrictions holding back the exploitation and translation of the UK's science base. It is our intention that our innovative new ideas will enhance the economic environment in which translation of science to product occurs within UK plc."

John Beadle, CEO, PsiOxus Therapeutics, said, "The emerging UK life science sector continues to underperform relative to the potential of our national academic science base. It is time for a concerted and coordinated effort to re-build a sustainable long term business infrastructure and ecosystem for emerging life science companies and I believe that OBN 2020 Vision Group can be enormously beneficial, both for patients and for business."  

Shawn Manning, Managing Director, Akesios Associates, said, "The UK Life Sciences industry faces an increasingly challenging environment, but nevertheless continues to pioneer ground-breaking technologies whilst remaining committed to the delivery of exciting and innovative new products. I believe that by working collaboratively we can provide a helpful supporting framework to assist companies in delivering benefits to patients and a return to shareholders, ultimately lending further support to the UK bioindustry's leading position in Europe."

Members of the OBN 2020 Vision Group

Sir John Bell, FRS, FMedSci, Regius Chair of Medicine at University of Oxford, Non-Executive Director at Roche, UK Government Adviser on Life Sciences (Observer), Stuart Bell CBE, CEO, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Ian Oliver, Executive Director - Assurance, Ernst & Young, Dr Mark Edwards, FRCA, R&D Director, EMIG, Non-Executive Directors, MRC Technology, Director, ST&I Partnerships. Julian Golec, Vice President Research and Site Head at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Ltd. Dr Nick Edwards, Chairman of MedInnovate, Kinapse & Oxtex. Dr John Beadle, CEO, PsiOxus Therapeutics.  Dr Chris Freitag, Vice President of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, Shire. Bryan Morton, Founder, EUSA Pharma and Chairman at ReNeuron plc, Aircraft Medical, and Energist Group. David Hipkiss, CEO, Prosonix. Dr Geoff Hale, PhD CEO of Mablyte, Owner at Geoff Hale Developments, Chairman of The Native Antigen Company, Non-Executive Director, Absolute Antibody Limited, Visiting Professor of Therapeutic Immunology, University of Oxford. Dr Jon Rees, CEO, OBN and Member of the Interim Management Board, Oxford AHSN. Richard Barker, Chairman at Stem Cells for Safer Medicines, Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation (CASMI), Celgene, 2030healthfutures Dr Shawn Manning, Managing Director, Akesios Associates Limited. Dr Andy Richards, Chairman of Altacor, Abcodia, Novacta and Ixico, co-chair of Cambridge Temperature Concepts, a Non-Executive Director of Arecor, PsychologyOn-line, Cancer Research Technologies and Babraham Bioscience Technologies.

About OBN

OBN is the membership organisation supporting and bringing together the UK's emerging life science R&D companies, their corporate partners and their investors. Our 237 member companies are located across the Golden Triangle (formed by the cities of Oxford, Cambridge and London) and beyond, and benefit from our provided networking, partnering, purchasing, advising, and advocacy activities. Through our delivery of Europe's 3rd largest annual biopartnering and investment conference 'BioTrinity', which attracts 900 delegates from 30 countries, OBN generates more R&D-company-to-investor interactions than anyone else in Europe. OBN runs regular 'BioTuesday' evening networking events which typically feature three speakers talking on a topic of business, financial or scientific interest, followed by two hours of networking over wine and canapés, attended by about 100 delegates.

OBN delivers a number of key executive level dinners in the life sciences calendar including the OBN Annual Awards Dinner at the Ashmolean, the OBN Annual Executive Dinner and OBN Christmas Networking Dinner. In addition OBN offers the Senior Executive Breakfast Club with up to 30 CEOs, CFOs and COOs coming together regularly in Oxford, Cambridge and London with industry figures to network and discuss topics of mutual interest under Chatham House rules. OBN offers members discounted rates on lab supplies and services through more than 30 suppliers, office supplies, private medical insurance, among over 40 offers on products and services through the OBN Group Purchasing Scheme.

OBN has also established a thought leadership group called the "OBN 2020 Vision Group" which provides thought leadership on concepts to support the emergence and sustainable growth of emerging life sciences R&D companies. OBN delivers consultancy projects on regional and national life sciences clusters, independently benchmarking the status of bioclusters on behalf of government clients. OBN is also involved in a number of multi-cluster networking projects including HealthTIES, the European Diagnostics Cluster Alliance and we are a proud to be member of Council of European Bioregions.

Contacts

OBN
Jon Rees, CEO
Tel: +44(0)7795-233883
jon.rees@obn.org.uk

Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Chris Gardner/Nina Enegren        
T: +44(0)20-7638-9571
chris.gardner@citigatedr.co.uk / nina.enegren@citigatedr.co.uk