Office for Life Sciences Bulletin – 7 December 2020
OLS Introduction The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a joint unit between the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This bulletin aims to keep the life sciences sector up to date on the latest guidance as we approach the end of the Transition Period and during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, providing you with information from Government to help your members and networks prepare. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please email nita.bhanot@beis.gov.uk
News NEW – On 2 December, the MHRA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine for the UK developed by Pfizer/BioNTech. The decision that the vaccine has met the MHRA’s strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness was made with advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the government’s independent expert scientific advisory body. Please see the Decision page on our website for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine. NEW – The National Crime Agency (NCA) are producing an intelligence assessment of the threat of exploitation of the Covid-19 Vaccine by Serious Organised Crime. This assessment will be published very shortly and will address the following questions: 1. To what extent are Organised Crime Groups (OCGs)s aware of and planning criminal opportunities relating to the roll out of a vaccine in the UK? 2. How might previous Covid frauds and criminality indicate intent and capability to exploit the vaccine? 3. What are the indicators of risks emerging? NCA are interested in any information companies would like to share, including: Threats related to: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Fraud (bogus vaccines/lures/identity theft/impersonation etc.) Acquisitive Crime (theft / robbery /OCG activity) Cyber (e-mail phishing, ransomware, impersonation sites etc.) Economic Crime other (ML and Bribery and Corruption)