The third edition of the European Biotech week took place from 12 to 18 October. All over Europe biotech companies, associations, academic and governmental organisations as well as museums organised events to tell the story about European biotech. In total more than 100 events took place in 15 countries.

In the Netherlands HollandBIO, the Dutch Biotech association, contributed to this week. They organised a Biotech Thursday on the Valuation of Biotech Companies on 15 October in Utrecht. This well-attended event comprised three speakers from the sector: Oscar Izeboud (Kempen & Co), Edward van Wezel (BioGeneration Ventures) and AndréHoekema (Galapagos). The first two presenters addressed the methods for valuation and the different stages of companies and their investments. Hoekema ended the event with an overview of Galapagos’ rollercoaster ride in the development of their compounds. Overall, the European Biotech Week was a good celebration of the sector. The Week even set a new record: 60% of European countries joined this festive week. Top Sector LSH supports this initiative to raise awareness for biotechnology throughout Europe. Therefore please note the dates for next year's European Biotech Week: 26 September to 2 October 2016!

On 6 November Jan Raaijmakers, chairman Top Sector Life Sciences & Health, visited the Pivot Park in Oss to see what is happening at this innovative life sciences campus.

During his visit Jan Raaijmakers met with the directors of two companies located at the park: BioNovion and NTRC. The topic of the conversation revolved around the specific needs and hurdles encountered by young innovative companies working on early stage R&D to develop new medical treatments.

The visit continued at Pivot Park Screening Centre, an open, innovative setting for the automation of cellular and biochemical in-vitro screening assays and provider of High Throughput Screening (HTS) services, which plays a central role in the European Lead Factory and other public private consortia. The day ended with a meeting with the director of the Pivot Park, Mirjam Mol-Arts. She explained the future plans for Pivot Park and the potential role this community can play in the life sciences sector in the Netherlands was discussed. Jan Raaijmakers was impressed by the innovative research performed by companies located at Pivot Park and the pharmaceutical R&D value chain represented there. According to Raaijmakers:

‘The Netherlands has a beautiful ecosystem in which new medicines can be devised and developed. That is where the leads arise, the innovative ideas for new treatments. The Ultra-high throughput screening (European Lead Factory) at the Pivot Park is a superb example of public-private partnership that is focussed on finding these leads.’

Ever since 2012 the Task Force Health Care has a successful collaboration with China on the area of Life Sciences & Health. The 25th till 29th of October 2015 the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of  Health, Welfare & Sports, the Dutch Embassy in collaboration with the Task Force Health Care organised a mission to China for the Dutch Life Sciences & Health Sector.

Led by Martin van Rijn, State Secretary for Health - Welfare & Sports and parallel to the state visit of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Maxima a Dutch company delegation examined divers opportunities for future partnerships with China.

The Chinese healthcare market is subject to rapid changes and strong growth. For the country with the largest population in the world it is an enormous challenge to organize an optimal and sustainable health care system. Besides the ambition to provide every resident accessible, affordable and high-quality basic care in 2020, China also has the challenges of a rapidly aging population, an increase in cardiovascular diseases, chronically ill, and the demand for more and better care and related rising costs for care. China is therefore very open to new, innovative medical products and services.

More than 100 travelled from the Netherlands towards China.  From Beijing to Shanghai, the LSH mission to China was a great success. The mission included lots of matchmaking, acquisition and expanding export opportunities. 

A topic that is continuously discussed in the media is the affordability of medicines. To contribute to this debate, HollandBIO organised an Orphan Cafe on the accessibility of innovative medicine.

The costs of innovative medicine and the implications for patients suffering from a rare disease were the main subjects of this afternoon. Marcel van Raaij, Director of Medicines and Medical Technology at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Nicole Kien, lawyer at KienLegal and Jan Raaijmakers, Chairman of the Top Sector LSH shared their visions. Raaijmakers highlighted the huge progress realised thanks to innovative medicines. According to Raaijmakers, all stakeholders should take responsibility for jointly working towards a collaborative system were patient accessibility and shareholder value go hand in hand. Van Raaij subsequently stressed the importance of a balanced and future-proof system and gave the ministry’s draft vision on future expenditure for medicines. Kien addressed the challenge from a legal perspective. She described the important role of physicians and gave a number of opportunities to improve the current healthcare practice that could contribute to achieving a sustainable healthcare system.

Overall, the cafe demonstrated a number of shared ideas as well as different perspectives. Patient access to the best treatments, plenty of incentives to innovate and affordability should all be taken into account when designing the future’s healthcare system.