In the life sciences sector, precision and accuracy are critical for patient safety, effective research and development cooperation, and regulatory compliance.
The same is true in life sciences translations – specialist linguists and rigorous quality assurance measures are essential.
When mistakes are not an option, you can rely on our team of expert life sciences translators and interpreters to produce accurate translations your documents.
Don’t just take our word for it…
We have been working with Business Language Services for the last two years on our project to update our Instructions for Use (multi-language version). There were 17 languages covered in this project and the services provided by this company have been excellent. Great communication, quick timeline and flexibility to suit our needs.
Safeguard Medical
Our life sciences translation and interpreting services
We offer expert life science translations and interpreting services for a wide range of applications across the industry, including:
Pharmaceuticals
- Package leaflets
- Package labels
- Pharmacovigilance reports
- Regulatory documentation (e.g. SmPCs, EMA/QRD templates)
Medical Devices
- User manuals
- Patient Information Leaflets (PILs)
- Lay summaries
- Instructions for use (IFUs)
- Field safety notices (FSNs)
Clinical Trials
- Clinical trial protocols
- Consent forms
- Ethics submissions
- Trial outcome reports
Agricultural and Veterinary
- Agricultural chemicals, sprays, fertilisers, etc.
- Horticultural and veterinary research
- Veterinary medicines, devices and records
Academic and Clinical Research
- Doctoral theses
- Research papers
- Case studies
- Funding applications
About Business Language Services
At Business Language Services (BLS), we are a linguist-led team specialising in compliance-grade language services for regulated industries, including technical, legal, medical and financial.
From our offices in Cardiff and Glasgow, we have been reliably providing translations of medical documents for clients across the UK and around the world for over 30 years.
All of our project managers are linguists themselves, so they have first-hand experience of what translators and interpreters need to produce the highest quality work.
Backed by ISO certifications and accreditation by leading industry bodies, we are committed to delivering the highest quality translation and interpreting services to meet your requirements and expectations every time.
Why work with a specialist life sciences translation agency?
Compliance-grade accuracy and quality control
- Specialist linguists with industry expertise for error-free results every time
- Consistent use of approved, industry-standard terminology thanks to expert terminology management systems
- Three-stage translation, editing and proofreading process
- ISO9001 Quality Management certification
Technical expertise beyond the language
- Familiarity with regulatory requirements and approval processes
- Multilingual checks for numerical accuracy and consistency
- Tools to work with all file formats, ensuring compatibility with your systems
Linguist-led human service with 30+ years' experience
- Dedicated project manager will guide you through the entire process
- All project managers are trained linguists, meaning faster resolution of linguistic queries
- Proven track record – over 30 years of excellence
- In-house translators for common language pairs, allowing for rapid turnaround times
Certification for guaranteed acceptance
- Certification to prove accuracy to Notified Bodies, industry regulators, courts or government authorities
- All types of certification available:
- Certification
- Notarisation
- Legalisation (Apostille)
- Sworn (in-country)
Bespoke, end-to-end service packages
- Translation is not ‘one size fits all’ – tailored language solutions for your individual needs
- Full suite of post-translation services, e.g.:
- Terminology/glossary management
- Desktop publishing / typesetting
- Printing and binding
- Direct liaison with your in-country colleagues for translation approvals and query resolution, if required
Secure and confidential handling of files and data
- Secure client portal for seamless transfer of project files
- All linguists and project managers have signed strict NDAs, so your information remains confidential
- Project traceability and version control as standard, so you can easily request updates to previously translated materials
Life sciences document translation services in just four simple steps
1. Consultation & Quotation
Gather all necessary details (languages, formats, services) and provide a personalised quote tailored to the project.
2. Linguists' Briefing
Brief linguists on requirements, including stylistic and length considerations, and prepare for translation.
3. Translation, Editing & Proofreading
Expert linguists handle translation, editing, proofreading, and certification as per requested standards.
4. Delivery
We deliver the final files as a ready‑to‑use package and handle additional services like desktop publishing or printing, as needed.
Scientific experts deserve a specialist life sciences language partner
Life sciences organisations rely on precise and often highly specialised wording in all of their documentation, whether this is for compliance with regulatory requirements, to ensure that researchers, clinicians and patients use medical devices safely and effectively, or to communicate a brand message to potential new customers and markets.
Partnering with a specialist life science translation company will guarantee the same level of precision and expertise when these materials are translated, ensuring that these same goals are achieved in every target language and market.
Life sciences texts often include specialist medical and scientific terminology that only someone with sector-specific experience would fully understand, and this terminology is often required by auditors and regulatory bodies.
Non-specialist translators might use less specific or unapproved terminology, which can lead to translations being rejected by industry regulators, resulting in safety concerns, legal difficulties and reputational damage for your company.
We always hand-pick interpreters and translators based on their experience in your field of science or medicine, which combined with our rigorous three-stage quality assurance process, ensures that your translated documents are completely accurate every time.
All of our project managers are linguists themselves, so they have first-hand knowledge and experience of the translation process and the information, tools and resources that translators need to produce their best work. They are also familiar with the kinds of errors that linguists can make, and so are ideally placed to spot these when proofreading your translations before final delivery. This makes them a critical quality and risk control mechanism and facilitates rapid resolution of any linguistic queries you may have.
Consistent use of approved terminology across products and languages is essential in regulated industries. The same also applies to larger sections of text; if you are making updates to existing documents, it is neither necessary nor cost-effective to retranslate the entire document, and doing so inconsistently could cause confusion for the end users.
Our industry-leading translation software allows us to create personalised translation memories and multilingual glossaries of approved translations, as well as ensure that any updates overwrite older translations, guaranteeing consistency between projects and meaning that you will never pay to retranslate the same text twice.
Certain life sciences texts need to be submitted to notified bodies, international authorities or courts, which often means that their translations must be certified in order to be accepted. This confirms to the organisation receiving the translation that it is a true and accurate representation of the original document, that the linguist who completed the translation was competent and sufficiently qualified, and that the translation may be legally replied upon. We can provide all types of certification to ensure that your translations are accepted by the relevant authorities.
Our life sciences translation clients
We have been providing high quality translations to life sciences companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and patients around the world for over 30 years – you could be next.
Don't just take our word for it…
Here is what some of our satisfied customers had to say about our life sciences translation services:
Louise and the team have been a pleasure to work with. They’re always responsive, easy to communicate with, and consistently deliver high-quality work on time and at competitive prices. We’ve found their work to be accurate and reliable, and they’ve been flexible and supportive throughout our interactions. Just as importantly, they’re genuinely nice people to work with, which makes the whole process straightforward and enjoyable. I’d have no hesitation in recommending them.
Frontier Medical Group
BLS consistently provides timely and accurate translation services. We have been collaborating with them for a year now, and we are very pleased with the quality of their work.
Cresilon, Inc.
We have been working with Business Language Services for the last two years on our project to update our Instructions for Use (multi-language version). There were 17 languages covered in this project and the services provided by this company have been excellent. Great communication, quick timeline and flexibility to suit our needs.
Safeguard Medical
Get started with your compliance-grade life sciences translation today
To find out more about how we can support you with end-to-end translation solutions, speak to one of our friendly team today.
Frequently asked questions
Why do life sciences translations require specialist linguists?
Only linguists who have experience producing scientific and medical translations will have knowledge of the unique and often legally required terminology and writing conventions in these industries, and so will be able to ensure that the translations are compliant with local regulations for their language and market.
How much do life sciences translation services cost?
Costs for life sciences translation services start from around £60–£80 + VAT, depending on the language pair. This usually covers up to approx. 500 words; thereafter, the cost is based on the number of words, with rates between £0.12 and £0.22 per source word for most language pairs.
Please get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your project’s requirements.
Are AI and machine translation safe to use for life sciences translations?
AI and machine translation are rarely accurate enough for medical or scientific translations, as they lack the sector-specific knowledge to ensure that the results are compliant with regulatory requirements. Some regulatory bodies also explicitly prohibit their use. They can sometimes be used to accelerate low-stakes or reference-only translation projects, provided that their output is thoroughly edited for accuracy and compliance by professional linguists who are subject matter experts.
All of our machine translation systems and AI translation engines are closed-source, and we never use your materials to train them.
What are the risks of poor-quality life sciences translations?
Poor-quality life sciences translations can lead to many serious consequences. For example, numerical or terminological inconsistencies can delay treatments and potentially result in harm to patients or clinicians due to incorrect dosage or usage methods. Additionally, if regulatory requirements are not followed, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices can face legal issues and risk their products being withdrawn from the market.
Can life sciences translations be certified or audited for regulatory use?
Yes. Some regulatory bodies require translations to be certified to prove that they are accurate representations of the original documents. This typically involves the translator or a representative of the translation agency signing a legally-binding declaration that bears a stamp from a recognised translation industry organisation, such as the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) or Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) – we are a member of both of these institutions. Translations may also be notarised or legalised (also known as apostilled) in certain circumstances, but this is not normally needed except in the most sensitive legal situations.