Epistem named top bio company
MANCHESTER biotech company Epistem has been named as the Company of the Year at the Bionow Awards which recognise the achievements of the region’s biomedical sector.
The AIM-listed business, which recently won an extension to its contract with the US government to test drugs for treating people in the aftermath of a radioactive attack, was competing against runners-up Cyprotex and Byotrol.
Byotrol, also based in Manchester, has developed anti-microbial technology which targets superbugs such as MRSA, while Macclesfield-based Cyprotex carries out drug discovery and testing. Both companies are also listed on AIM.
The judges praised the quality of the nominees and noted Epistem’s “strong business model”. They said its three business streams add stability and growth potential to the business.
Other winners included technicians working at Novartis and Advanced Medical Solutions and academics at the universities of Liverpool and Manchester.
The judges were also impressed by inward investments into the region by large international businesses such as Qiagen which bought Manchester diagnostics firm DxS for £80m last year and and Gen-Probe which acquired Wythenshawe’s Tepnel Life Sciences for £93m.
Dr Geoff Davison, sector head for biomedical at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and director of Bionow, said: “The Northwest Biomedical Awards, which are now in their 9th year, recognise and reward excellence within the biomedical sector. The Northwest is home to significant expertise in this important sector, and the winners and those who are runners up, are testament to the excellent work being done in this fascinating growth industry here in the Northwest.”
The winners and runners-up:
Northwest Company of the Year – Epistem
Runners up – Cyprotex and Byotrol
Innovation in Diagnostics Project of the Year – Prokyma Technologies’ KymaSep, a rapid automated concentration and purification system
Runners up – Mast Group for its hospital urine microbiology testing; Professor R A Malik, Central Manchester University Hospital & University of Manchester for the development of corneal confocal microscopy.
Promising Biomedical Technologist – Jane King-Haughey, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. Highly commended: Jonathan Nosworthy of Advanced Medical Solutions. Runners up – Maria Basanta, University of Manchester; Leonard Ebah, University of Manchester.
Startup of the Year – BioOxyDyn
Runners up: Euprotec; Bio-AMD; Qualoria.
Biomedical Project of the Year – Eden Biodesign, REIC – Prostate Cancer
Runner up: Medical Device Innovations, Microwave Tumour Ablation: Microblate.
Emerging Technology Project of the Year – University of Liverpool, control of stem cells using patterned substrates
Runners up: Kanichi Research Services Ltd, Bespoke Biosensors; Professor Ludwig Neyses, University of Manchester, Novel Contraception; William Dawson, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Development of Rapid Sterility Test.
Healthcare Project of the Year – Femestim, Professor Jackie Oldham, Manchester University
Runners up: Mast Group for its hospital urine microbiology testing solution; Medical Device Innovations for Thoraquick and Patientrack’s Patienttrack system.
