Planning EU Expansion: What US Biotechs Must Get Right From Day One

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Angeles Escartí-Nebot, Global Head Regulatory Affairs at QbD Group
Planning EU and UK expansion as a US biotech? Learn which regulatory, clinical and operational decisions matter from day one.
EU Expansion Strategy for US Biotechs: What to Get Right Early
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For a US biotech with a proven track record at home, EU and UK expansion is often the next logical growth step. But while Europe offers access to multiple high-value markets and a sophisticated scientific ecosystem, it operates through distinct regulatory pathways, country-level realities, and operational obligations that can catch teams off guard when an FDA-ready strategy is assumed to apply directly.

The opportunity is real. The difference between a smooth market entry and a costly detour usually comes down to one thing: early strategic planning grounded in real European regulatory experience.

 

1. Early selection of the appropriate EU pathway shapes the entire strategy

In Europe, choosing the right marketing authorization route is not a detail. It drives timelines, fees, dossier expectations, and coordination efforts.

For many biotech products, the centralized procedure is a core consideration, as it leads to a single EU-wide authorization and is mandatory for certain categories, including biotechnology-derived products. This decision directly influences how regulatory interactions are structured, how manufacturing readiness is planned, and how post-authorization obligations are anticipated.

EMA’s marketing authorization guidance and step-by-step materials make it clear that success is heavily influenced by how well you prepare before submission. In the UK, the MHRA has its own licensing framework and national assessment processes.

If you treat the UK as “just another EU member,” you will mis-sequence work and potentially duplicate effort. The MHRA’s guidance on national assessment procedures and the UK licensing process is a good reference point when building a UK plan that complements, rather than complicates, your EU plan.

2. Define what “Europe-ready” actually means for your product

Late-stage US biotechs often focus heavily on submission milestones, while underestimating the operational and governance expectations associated with European activity.

Even early in planning, it is important to define what will be required to operate sustainably across the EU and UK once engagement with authorities, clinical activity, or commercialization begins.

A practical planning checklist should include:

    • Target countries and sequencing logic (EU and UK are not one market)
    • Regulatory route assumptions, including triggers for change
    • CMC maturity against EU quality and compliance expectations
    • Safety and governance responsibilities that may become mandatory as presence expands

3. EU clinical trial systems require a different operating model

If your expansion includes EU clinical trials, planning must include the operational reality of Europe’s clinical trial framework. The EU Clinical Trials Regulation introduced the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) as the single entry point supporting submissions and lifecycle management for trials in the EU/EEA.

CTIS is notjust a portal. It changes workflows, responsibilities, timelines, and documentation discipline. Sponsors unfamiliar with CTIS often encounter avoidable delays, particularly when roles, vendor coordination, and response governance have not been clearly defined in advance.

A solid day-one strategy for CTIS requires clearly defined ownership of submissions, structured coordination across countries and vendors, and a governance model that enables timely authority interactions and controlled response timelines once questions arise.

4. Strategic engagement beats reactive negotiation

Europe rewards teams that engage early and structure interactions deliberately. That means planning for the right kind of scientific and regulatory engagement and aligning internal functions before you enter formal procedures. It also means being realistic about what European authorities will focus on and what evidence they will expect to see at each stage.

This is where experience matters. The goal is not to make the plan more complicated, but to keep it coherent, so that regulatory strategy, clinical plans, CMC readiness, and operating model decisions reinforce each other.

 

 

In summary: structured EU expansion creates long-term value

Europe is technically demanding, but that is not a barrier. It is an environment where disciplined planning creates an advantage. For late-stage US biotechs, a strong EU and UK roadmap can accelerate value inflection points, open partnering opportunities, and reduce rework by aligning expectations early.

Successful EU expansion is typically driven by three principles:

  • Selecting the right pathway based on product characteristics and ambition
  • Designing EU and UK plans that acknowledge regional differences
  • Building an execution model that fits organisational size and maturity

When these elements are in place, EU expansion becomes what it should be: a structured path toward sustainable growth.

From EU expansion strategy to execution

Successful EU and UK expansion requires more than regulatory knowledge; it requires an integrated strategy that connects pathway selection, clinical planning, CMC readiness, and operational governance.

QbD Group supports US biotechs in planning and executing EU expansion strategies that are realistic, scalable, and aligned with European regulatory expectations. 👉 Get in touch to discuss how to build a robust EU and UK expansion roadmap

Get in touch to discuss how to build a robust EU and UK expansion roadmap.

 

References

European Medicines Agency (EMA). Marketing authorisation overview and guidance.
European Commission. Centralised procedure eligibility and legal framework (Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 context).
EMA. Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) overview.
BfArM. Clinical Trials Regulation and CTIS explanation (EU CTR 536/2014 context).
UK MHRA. National assessment procedure for medicines.
UK MHRA. Apply for a licence to market a medicine in the UK.

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