Investing in the gleams of positivity and hope for life sciences innovation
In this third instalment of the five-part, festive series of the pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Mark Andrews, investment director of life sciences funds at British Patient Capital (BPC), discussing the vitally hot topic of investment in life sciences.
With a background in academic clinical oncology and radiotherapeutics, Andrews originally came across the venture capital world whilst working in Germany and thereafter shifted into life sciences VC. After 15 years of investment, he then transferred to corporate advisory work in the sector and has been with BPC for around two years.
Compared to the US, life sciences companies in the UK face a significant gap in the funding available over the course of their development, representing considerable untapped economic potential for the UK, which is home to world class scientific research and high potential life sciences companies. As such, life sciences are an important sector for UK venture capital investment. Despite this, UK biotechs raise significantly less funding than their US counterparts and are often reliant on overseas investors for growth funding. The conversation, indeed, is focused heavily on this.
Also explored are the trends present and seen on the horizon: the bright spots of life sciences innovation for investment, gleams of positivity and hope for the sector.
You can listen to episode 108a of the pharmaphorum podcast in the player below, download the episode to your computer, or find it - and subscribe to the rest of the series - in iTunes, Spotify, acast, Stitcher, and Podbean.
