Industry agrees with latest government report on impact of Brexit on pharma sector

The life sciences sector responds favourably to the report by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee stating the importance of securing a post-Brexit deal to protect the pharma industry.

In the report, the committee makes recommendations, welcomed by industry, that include securing the closest possible regulatory alignment with the EU as well as minimum border friction.

Additionally, it was concluded in the report that if there was a regulatory divergence between the UK and the EU the benefits that may be possible would be greatly outweighed by the negative impacts, such as costs and loss of markets and influence.

In a joint statement, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) — the chief executives of which, Mike Thompson and Steve Bates, respectively — stated: “Every month, 45 million packs of medicine move from the UK to the EU, with 37 million moving the other way.

“Today’s Select Committee Report is right — a Brexit ‘no deal’ would significantly damage public health, patient access to medicines and the UK’s leading pharmaceutical sector. This must be avoided at all costs.

“Securing cooperation on the regulation, trade and supply of medicines must be a priority for both the UK government and the EU.”