A new national public health procurement scheme has gone live to speed up access to supplies and build threat resilience. The new microbiology framework will help to grow capacity, push innovation and build resilience within the microbiology supply chain. The framework is open to all public sector, academic and charitable bodies. It will help to ensure labs and other diagnostic and treatment services have easier and faster access to essential supplies. The framework was designed by Public Health...

The British In-Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA) has launched the first in a series of strategy papers, which will assess what the UK IVD industry needs to grow and thrive in the future. The first of these papers ’Emerging from the Pandemic – An Industry View’ examines what needs to be done to lock in our progress in developing systems to cope with infectious diseases. The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in China in December 2019 has been challenging for countries...

NHS Confederation has announced the launch of a new network for GP Federations as it seeks to unite federation managers across the UK and support members with tailored products such as bulletins, briefings and events. This will allow chairs, chief operating officers, and other senior federation managers to interconnect, co-operate on issues and share resources. Ensuring the ongoing support of primary care during the pandemic, while it copes with the NHS backlog from lockdown pauses, will be an e...

The Government is preparing to launch trade agreement negotiations with Canada and Mexico in the latest phase of post-Brexit consolidation of global trade relationships. A call for input is being put out to UK businesses and the public ahead of the talks formally starting. Consultation with a wide variety of trading stakeholders, citizens and industry bodies will allow for the UK to put its best foot forward at the talks, which are scheduled to begin later this year. In 2020, the UK agreed deals...

The United Kingdom has shared some objectives for the COP26 event in November with Central American countries in a regional event. The British Ambassador in Guatemala, Nick Whittingham, led discussion from the UK side at the virtual opening of the French – Central American talks on climate change, organized by the Government of France, the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the countries of the System of Central American Integration (SICA). The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Chan...

IPSWICH, MA (May 10th, 2021) — New England Biolabs, Inc. (NEB®), a leading supplier of life science reagents, today announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Fluorogenics Limited (FGL), a lyophilization R&D service company based in the UK. Under the terms of the agreement, FGL will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEB. With the point-of-care market becoming more focused on the development of robust, accurate and cost-effective diagnostic tests for use outsi...

BIVDA Chief Executive Doris-Ann Williams and Chief Operating Officer Helen Dent have commented on the publication of the Health and Care Bill in today’s Queen’s Speech.  Commenting on plans to promote integrated care in the health service, Doris-Ann said; “The new White Paper offers an opportunity to promote joint working and collaboration in the NHS across different teams, department and disciplines. As part of these reforms, we want to see greater use of IVDs in pri...

The United Kingdom has downgraded its COVID-19 alert level from 4 to 3 as the NHS vaccination programme and social distancing measures take effect in bringing down transmission rates. The change in the level means the epidemic is in general circulation but transmission of the virus is no longer deemed to be high or rising exponentially. This decision was made by all four UK nations’ Chief Medical Officers, along with the NHS England Medical Director Stephen Powis. A statement from Chief Me...

BIVDA commentary on proposed validation of COVID Antigen tests for sale in the private sector7th May 2021 After careful consideration, BIVDA believes that setting up a separate validation process sets both an unwarranted precedent for the industry and undermines the regulatory system. Our position is that changes to the existing regulatory regime could achieve what the validation policy is trying to do, more effectively and without creating a two-layer system – a view in which we are ...

United States agrees to vaccine patent waiverThe United States has agreed to back a waiver by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on vaccine patents to boost supply as virus cases soar worldwide. The waiver was first proposed by India and South Africa, who were joined by over 60 countries in agreement. Over the last six months, this cohort of countries have been petitioning for the waiver to be accepted which would allow for greater supplies of vaccine stocks for nations struggling to cope with i...