European Commission launches biotechnology policy review
A review of the European Union's 2002 'life sciences and biotechnology strategy' has included a European Commission call for a redoubling of efforts to boost the medical biotech sector, 'in particular helping small-and-medium-sized enterprises and increasing research'.
A review of the European Union's 2002 'life sciences and biotechnology strategy' has included a European Commission call for a redoubling of efforts to boost the medical biotech sector, 'in particular helping small-and-medium-sized enterprises and increasing research'.
A paper that will spark a series of debates on how EU institutions should foster a thriving biotechnology sector stressed that many promising applications are in the pipeline, including advanced therapies such as tissue engineering, gene and cell-based therapies, and nanomedicine.
With its parallel 'high expectations' and 'significant controversy' over ethics, the Commission called for additional intervention to take account of economic, ethical and other considerations. That said, a 'refocused' biotechnology strategy should exploit the new money available under the EU's recently launched seventh framework programme to implement a 'joint technology initiative on innovative medicine', with the Commission working alongside the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA), said the paper.
Generally, the review is designed to refresh the EU's promotion of biotechnology research and market development; competitiveness and innovation; societal debates; sustainable development and related issues.