As the U.K. pursues its divorce from the EU, smaller U.S. drug and device companies could be caught disproportionately in the collateral damage. Many of them already struggle with the cost of duplicative regulatory requirements involved in marketing their products in the EU, but those costs could increase under Brexit, according to a report released last week by the U.S. International Trade Commission on trade-related barriers impacting U.S. small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that export to the U.K.

As the U.K. pursues its divorce from the EU, smaller U.S. drug and device companies could be caught disproportionately in the collateral damage.

LONDON – The U.K. government has placed an immediate ban on the export of certain drugs in a bid to prevent wholesalers taking advantage of the fall in the value of the pound against the euro by selling off U.K. stockpiles that have been built up to protect against an interruption in supplies in event of a no-deal Brexit.

LONDON - The Brexit factor appears to be holding back fundraising across all sectors in the U.K., and life sciences is no exception. After a small pick-up in the second quarter, the third quarter has disappointed, with £214 million (US$263.2 million) raised by U.K. biotechs across the public and private markets.

LONDON – Preparations for a no-deal Brexit are intensifying, with the government repeatedly saying the U.K. will leave on Oct. 31, and little sign that an agreement on an orderly exit will be reached by then. The U.K. Bioindustry Association (BIA) has stepped up its efforts to help members prepare, planning a series of events around the country and switching from monthly to weekly webinars, to provide up-to-date guidance in what is a fluid situation.

The industry is again preparing for a no-deal Brexit, as political shifts indicate that the U.K. crashing out of the EU on Oct. 31 is an increasingly likely outcome.