UK Trade & Investment's Annual American Association for Clinical Chemistry Reception in Anaheim California, on Tuesday 27th July. Doris-Ann Williams, Director General Bivda is placed as key-note speaker for this event.
Diagnostics Asia 2010 - 5th annual event, 24-26th August 2010. Pinpointing Opportunities for Commercialization, Expansion and Partnership. Doris-Ann Williams to be on speaking panel. 
SBRI Competition - The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) and the Technology Strategy Board are launching a SBRI competition to fund development work on an oral fluid screening device to aid the detection of drug drivers by the police.
Evidence suggests that drug driving is an increasing problem on UK roads. Current enforcement methods rely upon the officers' observation and assessment of the drivers' impairment. Use of an oral fluid screening device would significantly assist officers and act as a strong deterrent to potential drug drivers. The aim of this competition is to identify drug detection technologies capable of detecting very low concentrations (ng/ml) of drugs and their active metabolites in oral fluid that can meet the challenging sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility requirements within a polydrug detection device at the police station.
Status: Open, Open Date: 03 June 2010 , Deadline: 15 July 2010, Presentation Interviews: Contracts Awarded: 31 August 2010 Click here to go to the website.
Trade Association Forum Awards - The partnership of BIVDA with BIA , ABHI and ABPI have been selected as finalists for the sector repesentation category at the Annual Trade Association Forum Awards for the joint working demonstrated on the Office for Life Sciences initiative. The results are announced at the awards dinner on 1 July.
Trilateral Workshop French Embassy Berlin16 - 17 June 2010 - The increased use of In Vitro diagnostics (IvD) in healthcare is largely driven by their increasing use inchronic disease management (eg diabetes), pressure on healthcare providers to improve turnaround times, the use of point-of-care tests to reduce costs and their increasing use in non-hospital settings. To reflect the increasing importance of the multi-billion dollar IvD sector ($40.8bn globally in 2009) to the European economy, the French and British Embassies in Germany are jointly organising a workshop on the „Role and Significance of In Vitro Diagnostics in the health care systems of the future“. Registration is on a first come first serve basis, and you can sign up here, on their website.
Life sciences sector will welcome Minister for Life Sciences -The Prime Minister's announcement today that he is minded to appoint a Minister for Life Sciences in the next Parliament is to be applauded and is welcomed by the UK's four life sciences trade associations - the Association for the British Healthcare Industry, the Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the BioIndustry Association and the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association.
£115 DIY test for cervical cancer- A DIY smear test which lets women avoid visiting GPs for screening goes on sale on the internet today.The £115 one-hour test – which involves wearing a special tampon – can be carried out at home, with the results posted to a lab for analysis.It is hoped it will encourage career women who say they are too busy to visit a GP and women under 25, who are not eligible for free NHS screening, to check for early signs of cancer.
The power of partnerships’ highlighted by Office for Life Sciences Report The IVD sector has worked closely with Government alongside other Industry colleagues since the launch of the Office for Life Sciences Blueprint last year. As the OLS publishes its Life Sciences 2010 report, BIVDA welcomes the results of a year’s worth of collaboration and the improvements they herald for life sciences in the UK.
Doris-Ann Williams, Director General of the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA), said: “The work of the Office for Life Sciences has provided an excellent example of what can happen when Government and business work together. The life sciences sector represents real potential for growth in the UK economy, and so it is essential that all businesses within the sector are encouraged to flourish. In today’s financial climate, diagnostics can allow for more efficient and more effective use of NHS funds, by improving the speed of diagnosis, enabling better disease management and personalised treatment. BIVDA would like the OLS to continue during 2010 with a clear plan for actions to enable the full utilisation of diagnostics.”
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Pre-Budget Report - ‘Patent box’ signals a commitment to innovation in the life sciences industry
The British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA) welcomes the commitment to growth in the life sciences industries set out in today’s Pre Budget Report. The patent box proposal could create a real incentive for innovation in the diagnostics sector.
Doris-Ann Williams, Director General of the British In Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA), said: “BIVDA has been pleased to work alongside Government and other industry colleagues in developing the recent Office for Life Sciences Blueprint which introduced the patent box proposal. The patent box could provide a real reward for further innovation in this growing sector of industry in the UK. BIVDA is committed to continue to participate to fully support actions from the Blueprint to benefit the economy and ensure uptake of innovative technologies by the NHS .”
Summary of the pre-budget report for BIVDA members is available to download