Awards Celebrate UK’s Life Science’s Champions

OBN are delighted to announce the winners of the OBN Annual Awards 2015 that were presented on1st October at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

The Awards, which are in their 7th year, celebrate outstanding achievement in the UK life sciences sector and were attended by a sell-out audience of 150 leaders from Biotech, Medtech, Synbio and investor companies.

The UK’s world-class life science industry saw some fantastic levels of growth in the past year which were reflected in the increased number of entries, the highest number to date.

Ross Sommerville, Interim CEO of OBN said: “The UK life sciences sector is crucial for developing leading edge treatments for patients and is a vital part of the UK economy. Our Awards shine a light on the exciting and innovative achievements made throughout the past 15 months and in the long run will help maintain the industry’s prime position and ensure continued investment for new and emerging products.”

Award categories and winners:

1. Best New UK Biotech Development Programme – kindly sponsored by PCI
Winner: Summit Therapeutics – for the development of small molecule treatments for muscular dystrophy and the treatment of C.difficile infections

2. Best Emerging UK Biotech Company – kindly sponsored by J A Kemp
Winner: Touchlight Genetics – for the development of an enzymatic means of synthesising DNA

3. Best Emerging UK Biotech Fundraiser – kindly sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank
Winner: Adaptimmune – for securing funding for the development of modified T-cells carrying affinity enhanced TCRs to target specific cancers

4. Best UK Biotech Dealmaker – kindly sponsored by World Courier
Winner: Heptares – for the deal with Japanese biopharmaceutical company Sosei in February 2015 and the continued focus on creating novel medicines targeting G protein-coupled receptors

5. Best New UK Medtech Development Programme – kindly sponsored by Arthur J Gallagher
Winner: Accentus Medical – for the development of surface technology designed to reduce the risk of post-operative infection associated with titanium implants

6. Best Emerging UK Medtech Company – kindly sponsored by James Cowper Kreston
Winner: OxSonics – for developing and commercialising ground-breaking therapeutic ultrasound advancements

7. Best Emerging UK Medtech Fundraiser – kindly sponsored by EY
Winner: Oxford Nanopore Technologies – for the development of electronic based systems for the analysis of DNA, RNA and protein

8. Best UK Medtech Dealmaker – kindly sponsored by The BioHub Birmingham
Winner: Abingdon Health – for the acquisition of Molecular Vision Ltd, which underpins Abingdon’s aim to create a leading Dx company

9. Best Emerging UK SynBio Company – kindly sponsored by SynbiCITE
Winner: Oxitec – for developing pioneering solutions to control insects that spread human disease and damage crops

10. Highest Impact Investor
Winner: Woodford Patient Capital Trust – for the massive boost given to early stage companies through the volume of their investments

11. Best Pharma BD&L Team – kindly sponsored by Premier Research
Joint Winner: AstraZeneca – for a robust business strategy and partnerships that access the best in scientific developments Joint Winner: Shire – for a range of acquisitions made to help improve their portfolio

12. Best Public-Private Collaboration – kindly sponsored by Oxford AHSN
Winner: Isansys & Birmingham Children’s Hospital