MedPharm Nominated for Prestigious Award


INNOVATIVE COLLABORATORS RECOGNISED FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

  A partnership, which has been formed to drive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, has been shortlisted for a prestigious award at this year’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) Awards 2013.

The partnership, made up of MedPharm Ltd, the University of Hertfordshire, and Charlotte Stewart – the associate who delivered the project – has collaborated to develop in vitro toxicity and pro-inflammatory skin disease testing models. This collaboration has led to a significant increase in profits for MedPharm and now sees the partnership shortlisted in the Best Partnership category of this year’s KTP Awards.

 The winner of the Best Partnership category will be announced at an awards event taking place in London on 3 December and will receive £10,000 for their project. The UK Awards, which are held annually, are run by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, to honour the best KTPs in the UK.

KTP is a UK-wide programme, organised by the Technology Strategy Board along with 12 other public sector partners. The programme offers the opportunity for three partners – a business, UK university or college partner, and a recently qualified graduate (associate) to work collaboratively to develop a business opportunity or innovative idea. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships allow ideas to be shared more easily between UK businesses and academic institutions.

The KTP Awards 2013 will see KTPs commended in a number of other categories including: Engineering Excellence, Business Impact, and the Research Council UK Societal Benefit category. The Business Leaders category will also recognise the individual talents and achievements of Associates who, while working on their KTP project, have demonstrated the potential to become a future business leader.

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said:

“There are nine partnerships up for the Best Partnership Award, all of which best exemplify the benefits of collaboration for innovation. The eventual winning partnership will receive £10,000 from the Technology Strategy Board which will help them to further their innovation. I wish all of the shortlisted projects the very best of luck.

“Once again we have been inundated with entries for the Best of the Best KTP Awards, which really do showcase the outstanding and innovative collaborations which have taken place right here in the UK.”

Professor Marc Brown, CSO MedPharm Ltd, and Company Supervisor of this project, said:

“We are delighted to have been nominated for what is a really prestigious award in the field of innovation. The partnership we’ve embarked on with the University of Hertfordshire and Charlotte Stewart has bought lots of benefits for MedPharm and the sector of which we are very proud. The fact that we are now shortlisted for the Best Partnership award is testament to all of the hard work and time we have invested in this project.”

The Best of the Best KTP awards will take place at Prince Phillip House on the 3rd December. To find out more information please visit: www.ktponline.org.uk/