< PreviousPROCUREMENT30 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.netcontroversy can arise. It’s an issue the NHS has had to contend with over the last year after American biopharmaceutical company AbbVie launched a legal challenge against NHS England over a procurement process seeking supplies for ground-breaking hepatitis C treatment. The company launched legal proceedings in the summer of 2018 in London’s Technology and Construction Court where they claimed that NHS England breached its duty to treat all bidders fairly. The NHS procurement was launched in spring of that year with the aim of lowering the cost of hepatitis C drugs manufactured by a small handful of companies made up of AbbVie, Merck, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Gilead Sciences. The aim was for the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make the UK the first country in the world to eliminate hepatitis C by 2025 through its next round of procurement. With the virus claiming the lives of some 400,000 people a year, it’s safe to say there’s a real need to upscale treatment, support and development. Although the court documents regarding the case are heavily redacted due the commercial sensitivity involved, the crux of AbbVie’s aggrievement can be easily gleaned. Their claim boils down to the NHS commissioning board allegedly breaching regulations in its tender process. NHS England is legally-bound to comply with certain regulations and directives in its tender process. This means that it must conduct its procurement process consistently with the principles of equality of treatment, transparency, non-discrimination and good administration. With all that in mind, it must award the contract to the most economically advantageous tenders. However, AbbVie alleges that the NHS failed to deliver on these regulations and claims that there was unlawful use of electronic auction in competitive dialogue procedure. The company therefore wants the NHS to set aside the tender process or modify it to remedy the parts considered unlawful. It should probably come as no surprise that the NHS contested this claim and responded that there was no prohibition of using an auction of any kind. In this instance, the court backed the NHS. John Stewart, Director of Specialised Commissioning at NHS England, said: “Court cases such as this are a waste of NHS resources and taxpayers’ money, in this case resulting in an unavoidable delay in our efforts to tackle the threat of hepatitis C, which disproportionately affects some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in society.” A spokesperson for AbbVie said: “AbbVie remains committed to working with NHS England on the elimination strategy and continuing as participants in this procurement process.” Despite the budgetary and regulatory considerations involved in the procurement process of drug and medical treatments, its patients that need to remain the top priority. 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 11/02/2019 09:46 Page 3Pharma Business International 31 www.pbiforum.netPROCUREMENT© Marbury / Shutterstock.com28-31.qxp_Layout 1 11/02/2019 09:46 Page 4Wednesday 20 – Thursday 21 February Drug Discovery Congress 2019 Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium This conference offers a wide range of keynote presentations, oral talks, poster presentations, workings and exhibitions, offering a detailed insight into the very latest in drug discovery, design and delivery. For more information, email contact@conferenceseries.com. Monday 25 – Tuesday 26 February Pharmaceutical Sciences 2019 Berlin, Germany This conference is specially organised to provide a multi-channel communication platform that brings together producers and consumers of the generic sector. It includes prompt keynote presentations, poster presentations and exhibitions providing the perfect platform for researchers, scientists and delegates to share experience, foster collaboration across industry and academia, and evaluate emerging technologies across the globe. For more information, email Pharma EVENTSMonday 25 – Wednesday 27 February CAR-TCR Summit Europe Novotel London West For the second year, the CAR-TCR Summit Europe returns as the premier industry-dedicated event focussed on the development and delivery of next-gen CAR or TCR driven cell immunotherapies to patients in Europe. Seize your opportunity to network with 250 leading experts and join the discussion to reduce cost of good and streamline manufacturing with allogenic developments. For more information, visit www.cartcr-europe.com.32 Pharma Business International www.pbiforum.net© Shutterstock / TooykrubWednesday 13 – Thursday 14 March NanoDelivery 2019 Holiday Inn Singapore Held in Singapore, the 3rd International Conference on Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery invites all participants across the globe to attend and share their insights and convey pharmaindustry@pharmaceuticalconferences.org. Monday 4 – Tuesday 5 March Festival of Biologics USA Grand Hyatt, San Diego, USA The Festival of Biologics brings together the pioneers doing the most innovative work within the industry and across the whole value chain, to share their unique insights. It combines four conferences in one: The Americas Antibody Congress, World Immunotherapy Congress USA, World Biosimilar Congress, and Clinical Trials Americas. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2jpDtwT. Tuesday 5 – Wednesday 6 March Pharma Blockchain 2019 Sheraton Skyline Hotel, London This event aims to address some of the most achievable possibilities of integrating blockchain within pharma and healthcare. Through a mixture of practical, lectures and roundtable discussions specifically designed to help you get to grips with the technology, learn from those already benefiting from blockchain systems and overcome obstacles associated with integration. For more information, email kavitha@virtueinsight.co.in. Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 February Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics Asia Hilton Tokyo Bay Hotel This is the only event in Asia providing the latest science, technology and partners to accelerate antibody and protein therapies, ADCS, biospecifics and immuno-oncology. Here world-leading scientists share the latest technologies, R&D and clinical data to fast-track next-gen therapeutics towards commercial success. For more information, email sales@informa-ls.com.32-33.qxp_Layout 1 11/02/2019 09:48 Page 1recent developments in the flourishing field of nanomedicine and drug development. For more information, visit www.nanomedicine.pharmaceuticalconferences.com. Monday 18 – Wednesday 20 March Pharmaceutica 2019 Edinburgh, Scotland Following 2018’s successful event, the conference will include a wide range of keynote presentations, oral talks, poster presentations, symposia, workshops, exhibitions and career development programmes. It will cover various aspects, from smart drug delivery systems to nanotechnology in drug technology. For more information, www. novel-drugdelivery-systems.pharmaceuticalconferences.com. Monday 18 – Wednesday 20 March CPhI Japan Big Sight Exhibition Centre Tokyo, Japan Gathering more than 20,000 pharma professionals from around the glove, CPhI Japan is the idea business platform for international pharma professionals to join in order to grow in the rapidly changing Japanese pharmaceutical marketing. Hosting over 550 exhibitors from ingredients, contract services and biopharma through to technology, packaging and machinery, CPhI and co-located events is your ultimate one-stop-shop to find the latest Japanese pharma solutions. For more information, visit www.cphi.com/japan.www.pbiforum.netPharma Business International 33© Shutterstock / Sebastian Kaulitzki© Shutterstock / sdecoretWednesday 20 – Thursday 21 February 3D Cell Culture 2019 Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington Over the past few years, 3D cell culture has gained momentum within the pharmaceutical industry due to the benefits that it offers over conventional cell culture methods. This timely event aims to highlight what’s happening in this growing industry niche and what it can offer pharma. For more information, email ssapal@smi-online.co.uk. 32-33.qxp_Layout 1 11/02/2019 09:48 Page 2FEATURES Birth control exposé Processing Collaboration Health, safety & hygiene The ethics in gene editing Next issue: Deadline - 27th March 2019REGULARS News Events M&A Round-up Eye on approvals PharmaBUSINESS INTERNATIONALVisit us at www.pbiforum.net where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox, in between printed issues?@pbiforumwww.pbiforum.netcompany/po-business-international34.qxp_Layout 1 11/02/2019 09:48 Page 1Next >