Investor says biotech is languishing in the UK

A leading biotech investor in the U.K. says that the London market just doesn't "get it" about drug developers. And the disconnect has led to the smallest number of biotech start-ups in years. Only 37 biotech companies started up last year in the U.K., the smallest number since 1999. Sir Chris Evans, who founded Merlin Biosciences, told The Independent that U.S. biotechs, meanwhile, are making swift strides in a much more entrepreneurial environment.

"U.S. biotech teams are vastly more creative and entrepreneurial by comparison," said Evans. "They can recognize huge value potential in projects when the U.K. often sees little."

- read the report from The Independent