
European Mediscience Awards
Thursday 16 June 2022, Hotel InterContinental, London W1
The winners are announced
About
Showcasing achievement and success in the UK and European healthcare, biotech, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors
The European Mediscience Awards is now in its 20th year, having been held every year since inception in 2002*. The event is the largest annual gathering of private and publicly quoted healthcare, biotech and life sciences companies in Europe. Bringing together the best of European mediscience companies to celebrate achievement and recognise success, it is the must-attend event for anybody working in this sector.
Each year sees the attendance of over 500 quoted and private UK and European life sciences companies and their corporate advisers, analysts, fund managers, commentators and peers. The event is sold out from one year to the next.
The European Mediscience Awards 2022 will take place on Thursday 16 June at the Hotel InterContinental, London,W1.
*with the exception of 2020 when we were unable to hold a live event due to COVID-19, but instead held a successful digital campaign.
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Sponsors
For almost 40 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. Silicon Valley Bank provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial banking and lending services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators to increase their probability of success.
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Mainline sponsor:
For almost 40 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. Silicon Valley Bank provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial banking and lending services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators to increase their probability of success.
Learn more at:
Bryan Garnier is the world’s leading independent full-service investment bank for European healthcare and technology- led companies and their investors. Clients benefit from our relentless commitment to their long-term success, unparalleled insights into these strategically important sectors and strong relationships with investors - from private equity and venture capital to institutional investors across the US, Europe, and Asia.
Our corporate clients operate in high growth, fast moving sectors and many are disruptors focused on solving some of the most important sustainability challenges facing the world today. As a sector driven investment bank, our advice is rooted in deep industry knowledge with a global perspective, and clients benefit from our full-service platform and product expertise that will accelerate their long-term success.
We partner with clients for the long term throughout their lifecycle, providing them with ideas, access to public and private capital and M&A advisory with flawless execution. Our highly experienced equity research team thinks beyond the obvious to provide compelling and differentiated insights and investment themes to our corporate and investor clients, giving them that important competitive edge.
Our independence and entrepreneurial culture, which come from being a 25-year-old partnership ensure complete alignment with our clients. Our purpose, which is to help European pioneers become global champions, has been constant since the bank’s foundation 25 years ago and remains why clients continue to choose Bryan Garnier as their partner for the long term.
Bryan Garnier is the world’s leading independent full-service investment bank for European healthcare and technology- led companies and their investors. Clients benefit from our relentless commitment to their long-term success, unparalleled insights into these strategically important sectors and strong relationships with investors - from private equity and venture capital to institutional investors across the US, Europe, and Asia.
Our corporate clients operate in high growth, fast moving sectors and many are disruptors focused on solving some of the most important sustainability challenges facing the world today. As a sector driven investment bank, our advice is rooted in deep industry knowledge with a global perspective, and clients benefit from our full-service platform and product expertise that will accelerate their long-term success.
We partner with clients for the long term throughout their lifecycle, providing them with ideas, access to public and private capital and M&A advisory with flawless execution. Our highly experienced equity research team thinks beyond the obvious to provide compelling and differentiated insights and investment themes to our corporate and investor clients, giving them that important competitive edge.
Our independence and entrepreneurial culture, which come from being a 25-year-old partnership ensure complete alignment with our clients. Our purpose, which is to help European pioneers become global champions, has been constant since the bank’s foundation 25 years ago and remains why clients continue to choose Bryan Garnier as their partner for the long term.
Consilium Strategic Communications is an established global leader in strategic healthcare communications and investor relations advisory with operations in London, mainland Europe and the US. Consilium’s specialist team represents a broad range of companies spanning the global healthcare sector and provides strategic, long-term PR and IR advice to companies, funds and charities. Operating with Boards, senior decision makers and executives, we work in partnership with our clients to translate complex healthcare situations into meaningful communications programmes that deliver sustained results, inspire action and build value.
Consilium Strategic Communications is an established global leader in strategic healthcare communications and investor relations advisory with operations in London, mainland Europe and the US. Consilium’s specialist team represents a broad range of companies spanning the global healthcare sector and provides strategic, long-term PR and IR advice to companies, funds and charities. Operating with Boards, senior decision makers and executives, we work in partnership with our clients to translate complex healthcare situations into meaningful communications programmes that deliver sustained results, inspire action and build value.
FTI Consulting has built an unrivalled, global strategic communications offering to life science and healthcare companies. Our large team of life sciences and healthcare specialists has the breadth and depth of experience, in pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, digital health and healthcare services, to help you ensure that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time.
We take a holistic view, helping clients, ranging from top-10 global pharmaceutical and medical device companies to small start-ups, to develop and defend their reputations; seek to attract and retain the best talent; navigate and inform health and policy agendas; and steady themselves for moments of change or periods of growth.
In recent years, the team has advised on over $200 billion of sector M&A, IPOs and fundraisings; developing and delivering digital and social media strategies to meet growing sector demand; internal change communication after transactions; market preparedness and product launch communications; clinical and regulatory milestone communications; corporate messaging and public affairs.
www.fticonsulting-emea.com/industries/healthcare-and-life-sciences
FTI Consulting has built an unrivalled, global strategic communications offering to life science and healthcare companies. Our large team of life sciences and healthcare specialists has the breadth and depth of experience, in pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, digital health and healthcare services, to help you ensure that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time.
We take a holistic view, helping clients, ranging from top-10 global pharmaceutical and medical device companies to small start-ups, to develop and defend their reputations; seek to attract and retain the best talent; navigate and inform health and policy agendas; and steady themselves for moments of change or periods of growth.
In recent years, the team has advised on over $200 billion of sector M&A, IPOs and fundraisings; developing and delivering digital and social media strategies to meet growing sector demand; internal change communication after transactions; market preparedness and product launch communications; clinical and regulatory milestone communications; corporate messaging and public affairs.
www.fticonsulting-emea.com/industries/healthcare-and-life-sciences
Instinctif Partners is an international business communications consultancy. Our global Life Sciences practice focuses on enhancing the value proposition for companies seeking investment, partnerships or customers. We work with clients to communicate their science and innovation to key stakeholders through the most relevant channels. We have specialist expertise and decades of experience in corporate, financial, healthcare and marketing communications, integrating visual and written communications with strategic counsel to deliver high impact programmes. Clients range from start-ups to multinationals, served from our headquarters in London with additional support from our sector specialists in Europe, Africa and MENA.
Instinctif Partners is an international business communications consultancy. Our global Life Sciences practice focuses on enhancing the value proposition for companies seeking investment, partnerships or customers. We work with clients to communicate their science and innovation to key stakeholders through the most relevant channels. We have specialist expertise and decades of experience in corporate, financial, healthcare and marketing communications, integrating visual and written communications with strategic counsel to deliver high impact programmes. Clients range from start-ups to multinationals, served from our headquarters in London with additional support from our sector specialists in Europe, Africa and MENA.
The LifeSci Partners platform includes the following businesses, dedicated exclusively to the Life Sciences space: LifeSci Advisors (Investor Relations), LifeSci Venture (VC fund), LifeSci Capital (FINRA/SEC licensed investment bank), LifeSci Consulting (transactions, business development and commercial strategy advisory), LifeSci Search (board & C-suite executive search), LifeSci Associates (on-demand C-suite talent), LifeSci Communications (public relations, marketing, scientific & medical communications) and FirstThought (Expert KOL network).
LifeSci Advisors, sitting at the heart of the LifeSci Partners platform, is a leading investor relations firm in the healthcare space. Our extensive global network of institutional, healthcare-specialist investors enables us to provide unparalleled investor access for both public and private clients – while effectively conveying their stories, improving their positioning/messaging and overall investment thesis through integrated strategic communications. Our experienced team draws from diverse Wall Street, scientific, and communications backgrounds to strategize and execute successful Investor Relations programs via our unique, cross-disciplinary service model. LifeSci Advisors has a global presence, with its headquarters in New York and teams based across the U.S, Europe, Israel, and Asia.
The LifeSci Partners platform includes the following businesses, dedicated exclusively to the Life Sciences space: LifeSci Advisors (Investor Relations), LifeSci Venture (VC fund), LifeSci Capital (FINRA/SEC licensed investment bank), LifeSci Consulting (transactions, business development and commercial strategy advisory), LifeSci Search (board & C-suite executive search), LifeSci Associates (on-demand C-suite talent), LifeSci Communications (public relations, marketing, scientific & medical communications) and FirstThought (Expert KOL network).
LifeSci Advisors, sitting at the heart of the LifeSci Partners platform, is a leading investor relations firm in the healthcare space. Our extensive global network of institutional, healthcare-specialist investors enables us to provide unparalleled investor access for both public and private clients – while effectively conveying their stories, improving their positioning/messaging and overall investment thesis through integrated strategic communications. Our experienced team draws from diverse Wall Street, scientific, and communications backgrounds to strategize and execute successful Investor Relations programs via our unique, cross-disciplinary service model. LifeSci Advisors has a global presence, with its headquarters in New York and teams based across the U.S, Europe, Israel, and Asia.
MC Services is an international Public Relations and Investor Relations firm specializing in communications for the Life Sciences sector. A strong team of science, finance, media and communications experts with extensive industry experience positions MC Services as a leading Life Sciences agency in Europe.
MC Services’ long-standing clients include international public and private companies as well as venture capitalists and investment firms. With a local presence in Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin, London and Boston, established for many years as a link between the healthcare industry and financial markets, MC Services provides high quality services in Investor Relations and Public Relations.
MC Services is an international Public Relations and Investor Relations firm specializing in communications for the Life Sciences sector. A strong team of science, finance, media and communications experts with extensive industry experience positions MC Services as a leading Life Sciences agency in Europe.
MC Services’ long-standing clients include international public and private companies as well as venture capitalists and investment firms. With a local presence in Munich, Düsseldorf, Berlin, London and Boston, established for many years as a link between the healthcare industry and financial markets, MC Services provides high quality services in Investor Relations and Public Relations.
Panmure Gordon, an innovative and forward-thinking investment bank, helps fast-growing corporate and institutional clients achieve their ambitions and has offices in London, Leeds and New York. It provides a full range of services including Corporate Broking, Corporate Advisory, Capital Raising, Investor Relations, Research, Sales, Sales Trading and Market Making.
Panmure Gordon, an innovative and forward-thinking investment bank, helps fast-growing corporate and institutional clients achieve their ambitions and has offices in London, Leeds and New York. It provides a full range of services including Corporate Broking, Corporate Advisory, Capital Raising, Investor Relations, Research, Sales, Sales Trading and Market Making.
SP Angel provides broking and corporate finance advisory services to over 60 companies across the Healthcare, Technology and Natural Resources sectors. Our Healthcare Team has a proven track record in raising funds for both private and quoted companies.
SP Angel provides broking and corporate finance advisory services to over 60 companies across the Healthcare, Technology and Natural Resources sectors. Our Healthcare Team has a proven track record in raising funds for both private and quoted companies.
WG Partners is a specialist life sciences boutique. We provide our clients with corporate advisory, M&A and capital raising services. In the last decade, we have completed transactions with a total value in excess of £8.2 billion. Our business is 100% owned by the partners who combine more than 250 years of relevant experience. We bring a truly international perspective, acting for corporate and institutional clients across the UK, Europe, USA, Asia and Australia.
WG Partners is a specialist life sciences boutique. We provide our clients with corporate advisory, M&A and capital raising services. In the last decade, we have completed transactions with a total value in excess of £8.2 billion. Our business is 100% owned by the partners who combine more than 250 years of relevant experience. We bring a truly international perspective, acting for corporate and institutional clients across the UK, Europe, USA, Asia and Australia.
Awards
covering the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022
The winners are announced
Click on each award to view more information
BEST COMMUNICATION AWARD
Sponsored by:
BEST COMMUNICATION AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Mary-Jane Elliott, Managing Partner, Consilium Strategic Communications; Guy Featherstone, Senior Investor Relations Manager, Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Alliance Pharma plc
- Calliditas Therapeutics AB
- Ergomed plc
- Evotec AG
- Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc
- Medica Group plc
Criteria
Successful communication is vital to the development of mediscience companies.
Newsflow, both good and bad, can have a significant effect on share prices, and the winner of this award will have demonstrated its ability to successfully communicate its investment message to its target audience.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by:
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Ben Atwell, Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, FTI Consulting; Josie Afolabi, Director of Investor Relations, AstraZeneca plc (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Arecor Therapeutics plc
- argenx
- AstraZeneca plc
- Calliditas Therapeutics AB
- Destiny Pharma plc
- Molecular Partners AG
Criteria
The winner of this award will be the company or organisation which has achieved the most significant breakthrough during the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
This breakthrough could be a new discovery, departure or breakthrough in technology, a significant positive change in its financial position, or other breakthrough which has added significantly to the company’s or organisation’s fortunes.
BEST TECHNOLOGY AWARD
Sponsored by:
BEST TECHNOLOGY AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Anne Hennecke, Managing Partner, MC Services AG; Wensheng Fan, CEO, Spectral MD Holdings Ltd (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Aptamer Group plc
- Arecor Therapeutics plc
- ONWARD Medical NV
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
- Spectral MD Holdings Ltd
- Transgene
Criteria
The technology that lies at the heart of this award does not have to be proven, but it will, in the eyes of the Voting Panel, be innovative, well funded, and capable of significant commercial success. The technology concerned could have been developed within the organisation or acquired.
THE EMERGING STAR AWARD
Sponsored by:
THE EMERGING STAR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Emily Pilkington, Senior VP, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank; Helen MacBain, Senior Director Communications, bit.bio (winner); Damjana Nurkovic, Communications Assistant, bit.bio (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- bit.bio
- BiVictriX Therapeutics plc
- Microbiotica Ltd
- MiNA Therapeutics
- Quell Therapeutics Ltd
- Sitryx Therapeutics
- Synaffix BV
Criteria
The Emerging Star will be a private or young public mediscience company that has demonstrable credibility in terms of business model/strategy, management team and financing. The winner's focus on innovation will also be key, with its technology/IP capable of significant market impact or disruption.
The Emerging Star may not be able to demonstrate too much of a track record, but it will be judged against the demanding criteria that exist for its quoted company peers. The purpose of this award is to broaden knowledge, exchange ideas and help private businesses understand what could be required of them in the quoted company universe.
MEDISCIENCE MEDIA COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by:
MEDISCIENCE MEDIA COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner
Siegfried Hofmann and Maike Telgheder/Handelsblatt

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Rozi Morris, Director, Instinctif Partners; Maike Telgheder, Editor, Handelsblatt (winner); Siegfried Hofmann, Editor, Handelsblatt (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- BioCentury Team
- Clive Cookson/ Financial Times
- Fierce Biotech Team
- Financial Times Health Team
- Siegfried Hofmann and Maike Telgheder/ Handelsblatt
- Melanie Senio
Criteria
This award recognises the importance of clear and concise commentary on the sector. It could be awarded to a journalist, a columnist, a specialist website or a team that is dedicated to providing sharp, perceptive and penetrating commentary about the sector.
In-depth knowledge of the sector is a given; the Voting Panel will be looking for excellence in the way that knowledge is communicated to the wider audience.
CAPITAL MARKET TRANSACTION OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by:
CAPITAL MARKET TRANSACTION OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Georgia Attwood, MD Business Development, LifeSci Partners; Natalie Walter, General Counsel, Oxford Biomedica plc (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Abivax
- argenx
- Heidelberg Pharma AG
- Induction Healthcare Group plc
- Oxford Biomedica plc
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
Criteria
This award recognises a significant capital market transaction during our period under review. The capital market transaction could be an IPO or a follow-on financing; it would be significant in scope and transformational in nature and would materially enhance the prospects for the business in the short, medium and long term.
In deciding the shortlist and eventual winner, the Voting Panel will take into account the amount raised, stock price performance and the quality of the share register.
MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE MEDISCIENCE SECTOR AWARD
Sponsored by:
MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE MEDISCIENCE SECTOR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner
Antoine Papiernik/Sofinnova Partners

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Vadim Alexandre, Head of Healthcare, SP Angel; Antoine Papiernik, Chairman and Managing Partner, Sofinnova Partners (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Baillie Gifford
- Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen/ Novo Nordisk Foundation
- Antoine Papiernik / Sofinnova Partners
- Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann
- Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
- Wellcome Trust
Criteria
The winner of this award could be an individual, a company, a government department, research council, etc. who has made the single, biggest, most significant contribution to the sector. Difficult to define, but the Voting Panel will be aware of, and make allowances for, this fact.
BEST NEWCOMER AWARD
Sponsored by:
BEST NEWCOMER AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Dylan van Haaften, Head of Healthcare Equity Research, Bryan Garnier & Co; Gordon Sanghera, Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Aelis Farma
- Amniotics AB
- Arecor Therapeutics plc
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
- Spectral MD Holdings Ltd
- Vimian Group AB
Criteria
The Best Newcomer is a new award for this year. The winner of this award has the potential to be a future Company of the Year, however their track record as a public company is not yet long enough. The winner will have gone public between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, yet it will already have caught the eye of investors and will have excited the analyst community regarding its future pipeline and growth potential.
A full list of eligible companies will be provided.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Julie Simmonds, Executive Director, Equity Research, Panmure Gordon; Lisa Anson, Chief Executive Officer, Redx Pharma plc (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- Lisa Anson/ Redx Pharma plc
- Christian Hogg/ HUTCHMED
- Sarah Howell/ Arecor Therapeutics plc
- Stuart Quin/ Medica Group plc
- Miroslav Reljanovic/ Ergomed plc
Criteria
The winner will be an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities during the year under review. The creation of shareholder value through drive, vision and flair in taking his or her business forward are the qualities the Voting Panel is looking for. The winner will also have recognised the importance of developing a management team and workforce in supporting corporate success.
COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by:
COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sponsored by
2022 Winner

Picture shows, left to right; Nina Hossain, awards presenter; Nigel Barnes, Partner, WG Partners; Renee Aguiar-Lucander, Chief Executive Officer, Calliditas Therapeutics AB (winner); and Nooman Haque, Head of Life Sciences and Healthcare, Silicon Valley Bank.
2022 Shortlist
- ALK-Abelló A/S
- argenx
- AstraZeneca plc
- Calliditas Therapeutics AB
- Ergomed plc
- Novo Nordisk A/S
Criteria
The Company of the Year will already have gained recognition by analysts and investors.
It will be a well managed, soundly financed growth business with a well defined strategy to deliver its key financial, ethical and social ambitions. Put simply, the Voting Panel are not necessarily looking for the biggest, but they are looking for the best.
Voting panel

Ian Restall
Flathill Communications Group plc
(Voting panel Chairman)

Mette Kirstine Agger

Renée Aguiar-Lucander
Calliditas Therapeutics AB

Vadim Alexandre
SP Angel LLP

Georgia Attwood
LifeSci Partners

Nigel Barnes
WG Partners

Julia Bradshaw
FTI Consulting

Victoria Darbyshire
JP Morgan Asset Management

John Dawson
Oxford BioMedica plc

Stefan Hamill
Numis Securities Ltd

Nooman Haque
Silicon Valley Bank

Anne Hennecke
MC Services AG

Max Herrmann
Stifel

Ulrich Kinzel
goetzpartners

Matthew Neal
Consilium Strategic Communications

Rose Nguyen
Baillie Gifford

Nick Rodgers
SEHTA

Sachin Soni
Third Eye Asset Management

Julie Simmonds
Panmure Gordon & Co.

Dr Ivo Staijen
HBM Partners AG

Melanie Toyne-Sewell
Instinctif Partners

Dylan Van Haaften
Bryan Garnier & Co.

Ian Restall
Flathill Communications Group plc(Voting panel Chairman)

Mette Kirstine Agger

Renée Aguiar-Lucander
Calliditas Therapeutics AB

Vadim Alexandre
SP Angel LLP

Georgia Attwood
LifeSci Partners

Nigel Barnes
WG Partners

Julia Bradshaw
FTI Consulting

Victoria Darbyshire
JP Morgan Asset Management

John Dawson
Oxford BioMedica plc

Stefan Hamill
Numis Securities Ltd

Nooman Haque
Silicon Valley Bank

Anne Hennecke
MC Services AG

Max Herrmann
Stifel

Ulrich Kinzel
goetzpartners

Matthew Neal
Consilium Strategic Communications

Rose Nguyen
Baillie Gifford

Nick Rodgers
SEHTA

Sachin Soni
Third Eye Asset Management

Julie Simmonds
Panmure Gordon & Co.

Dr Ivo Staijen
HBM Partners AG

Melanie Toyne-Sewell
Instinctif Partners

Dylan Van Haaften
Bryan Garnier & Co.

Ian Restall
Flathill Communications Group plc(Voting panel Chairman)

Mette Kirstine Agger

Renée Aguiar-Lucander
Calliditas Therapeutics AB

Vadim Alexandre
SP Angel LLP

Georgia Attwood
LifeSci Partners

Nigel Barnes
WG Partners

Julia Bradshaw
FTI Consulting

Victoria Darbyshire
JP Morgan Asset Management

John Dawson
Oxford BioMedica plc

Stefan Hamill
Numis Securities Ltd

Nooman Haque
Silicon Valley Bank

Anne Hennecke
MC Services AG

Max Herrmann
Stifel

Ulrich Kinzel
goetzpartners

Matthew Neal
Consilium Strategic Communications

Rose Nguyen
Baillie Gifford

Nick Rodgers
SEHTA

Sachin Soni
Third Eye Asset Management

Julie Simmonds
Panmure Gordon & Co.

Dr Ivo Staijen
HBM Partners AG

Melanie Toyne-Sewell
Instinctif Partners

Dylan Van Haaften
Bryan Garnier & Co.
Ian Restall
Flathill Communications Group plc
(Voting panel Chairman)

Throughout his career, Ian has been involved in the quoted growth companies sector. His early career was as a stockbroker, analyst, broadcaster and financial journalist in this area and, since founding Design Portfolio in 1991, he has been active in helping many companies in this sector with their investor communication and corporate reporting requirements. Ian is also Chairman of Flathill Communications Group plc, President of The Design Portfolio Marketing Services Inc. and a member of the Investor Relations Society.
Mette Kirstine Agger

Mette has broad international experience within biotech and life sciences both as an investor, as a board member, and operationally, covering business development and licensing, management and financing.
Mette has been appointed to numerous board positions in both private and public companies in Europe and the US. She currently has six board positions in the US and Europe.
Mette previously founded and managed Lundbeckfonden Ventures, completing around 40 European and US investments over a 12 year period, and was part of the management at the Lundbeck Foundation. Before that, she was co-founder and CEO of 7TM Pharma A/S. She started her biotech career as part of the management team of NeuroSearch A/S, responsible for business development and licensing.
Mette started as a patent agent and, over the years, has co-founded several biotech companies. Mette graduated as a biologist from the University of Copenhagen and has an MBA from Henley Business School.
Renée Aguiar-Lucander
Calliditas Therapeutics AB

Renée is CEO of Calliditas Therapeutics AB and was previously a Partner and COO of Omega Funds. Before Omega, she served as a Partner in the Venture Capital group 3i Group plc in London where, since 2005, she was responsible for managing its publicly quoted assets and European legacy healthcare portfolio. Prior to this, she was a European Group Head and MD in investment banking. Renée has over twelve years of corporate finance experience with firms such as BT Alex Brown, Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers, where she focused on raising M&A and private and public capital for growth companies in both Europe and the US. Prior to investment banking, Renée worked for five years in European sales and marketing for a financial services-focused software business. Renée has a BA in Finance from Stockholm School of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD. She has significant Board experience from both private and public US and European Board work.
Vadim Alexandre
SP Angel LLP

Vadim leads the Healthcare Team at SP Angel, after having established a strong reputation for supporting growing and developing healthcare companies in the UK. Prior to joining SP Angel in 2019, he led the research team at Northland Capital Partners, where he established a Healthcare sector franchise from a standstill and turned it into the company’s highest revenue generating sector. Vadim also held roles at Daniel Stewart & Company, achieving a top Hemscott ranking, as well as other healthcare analysis roles in Montreal, Canada.
Georgia Attwood
LifeSci Partners

Georgia has held business development and corporate development positions within specialist Life Sciences consultancies, including Investor Relations and Executive search across the US and Europe, for the last ten years. Georgia joined LifeSci two years ago, with a primary focus on LifeSci’s Investor Relations business. Georgia now represents the whole LifeSci Platform which includes LifeSci Advisors (IR), LifeSci Consulting, LifeSci Capital (investment bank), LifeSci Venture, LifeSci Communications, First Thought (KOL network), LifeSci Search (board & executive search) and LifeSci Associates (on-demand-talent).
Nigel Barnes
WG Partners

Nigel is a Partner at the Specialist Life Science Investment Bank, WG Partners. Nigel has more than 35 years experience of working in the Life Science sector. He has a PhD in Pharmacology and has previously worked in the Pharmaceutical industry in both Research and Sales & Marketing. He moved into the City as an Equity Research Analyst in 1986 working for Hoare Govett and then Merrill Lynch from 1994 until 2005. He was a Founding Partner of Sudbrook Associates, a Corporate Advisory business with a Private Equity focus. He then joined WG Partners in 2012, shortly after the business was founded. He is a NED of a private biotech business, Avipero Limited. He is also a member of the External Commercialisation Board at the School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham where he also holds a Honorary Senior Lectureship at the Medical School. He is also a member of the 'Honorary Advisory Committee' at The Art Academy London.
Julia Bradshaw
FTI Consulting

Julia joined FTI Consulting’s life sciences team in February after a 15-year career in journalism. Before joining FTI she spent seven years working as a senior journalist and editor on the business pages of The Daily Telegraph, specialising in pharma and biotech.
Victoria Darbyshire
JP Morgan Asset Management

Victoria joined J.P. Morgan Asset Management in the European Research team covering the healthcare sector more than ten years ago. She also contributes to the J.P. Morgan Global Healthcare Fund. She became a CFA Charterholder in 2009 and has a BSc in Chemistry from Durham University.
John Dawson
Oxford BioMedica plc

John Dawson joined Oxford BioMedica’s Board as Non-Executive Director in August 2008 and he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in October 2008. Previously, he held senior management positions in the European operations of Cephalon Inc., including Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development Europe. While at Cephalon he led many deals building the European business to over 1,000 people, and to a turnover of several hundred million US dollars and in 2005 led the US$360 million acquisition of Zeneus by Cephalon. Prior to this time at Cephalon he was Director of Finance and Administration of Serono Laboratories (UK) Limited.
Stefan Hamill
Numis Securities Ltd

Stefan is a Director of Equity Research in the Healthcare and Life Sciences team at Numis, which is currently the No.1 Extel (2019) ranked team in the UK sector. The Numis team provides broad coverage of over 30 UK-listed mid and small-cap healthcare and life sciences companies and acts as broker or adviser to around 20 listed and private companies in the sector. Stefan has over 20 years of City experience as an analyst and in strategy consulting and has helped to raise over £2bn for healthcare and life sciences companies. He has a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and is a CFA charterholder.
Nooman Haque
Silicon Valley Bank

Nooman is Head of life sciences and healthcare for EMEA at Silicon Valley Bank. He leads a team focused on supporting innovative and high growth companies with banking and financing solutions. Previously he was head of direct investments at a sovereign wealth fund and has also worked in Government as an economic advisor.
Anne Hennecke
MC Services AG

Anne has been Managing Partner of MC Services since 2011 and has over 20 years of experience in Financial and Strategic Communications. She was responsible for setting up the MC Services office in Düsseldorf and building the team and operations there. Prior to that, she held senior management positions in international pharma and biotech companies. She headed the Investor Relations and Corporate Communications department of Evotec AG for 10 years and was a member of the company’s Executive Committee. Previously, she was responsible for Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Schwarz Pharma AG, where she initially held management positions in the International Marketing department. During her career she managed Evotec’s IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, multiple M&A programs and major financial transactions. Anne is a pharmacist and marketing expert by training. Her sector expertise includes pharma and life sciences with experience in all major indication areas.
Max Herrmann
Stifel

Max joined Stifel in September 2013 as Head of European Healthcare Equity Research. Prior to joining Stifel, Max was Chief Financial Officer of Silence Therapeutics plc. He possesses more than 25 years of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry experience, having held key management positions with leading development-stage companies, as well as establishing several highly rated equity research teams at a number of investment banks. He has also been involved in raising over $1bn for biotech companies.
Max holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Kent and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen.
Ulrich Kinzel
goetzpartners

Uli is a Managing Director at goetzpartners. He is responsible for the Industry Group Healthcare. He is a founding partner of Code Securities Limited, a specialist life science investment bank which was formed in 2003, acquired by Nomura in 2005 and continued as Nomura Code Securities until late 2013. As Director, Corporate Finance, Ulrich Kinzel was instrumental for building the continental European M&A and Equity Capital Markets business. He was previously a Director of WestLB Panmure’s Life Science Team. He has advised leading international live science companies in more than 50 successful M&A and ECM transactions, including cross-border European, Asian and US public and private takeovers as well as IPOs and secondary off erings on all major European Stock Exchanges. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Munich University.
Matthew Neal
Consilium Strategic Communications

Matthew has over a decade of international financial and corporate communications experience at City PR firms and since joining Consilium Strategic Communications as a founding member, he has specialised in healthcare. He has advised both listed and private clients on strategic financial communications strategies across all subsectors of healthcare, as well as providing advice on crisis communications, capital market transactions, IPOs and M&A. Matthew speaks fluent Italian and Polish.
Rose Nguyen
Baillie Gifford

Rose joined Baillie Gifford in 2013 as an investment analyst. Rose worked on various regional and global strategies before co-founding the Health Innovation strategy in 2018. Having observed the innovations in multiple industries, she believes that the great convergence of different technologies and sciences will ultimately transform life science. Biology can move from alchemy and randomness to become a more predictable, deterministic and repeatable science, that will give rise to a plethora of exciting investment opportunities.
Rose graduated BA (Hons) in Economics and MPhil in Finance and Economics from the University of Cambridge in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Nick Rodgers
SEHTA

Nick is an experienced Non-executive Director and Chairman with a background as a successful corporate financier. He has considerable experience of businesses in the Healthcare, Medical, Biotechnology, Environmental and Technology sectors. Nick is Chairman of Destiny Pharma plc, an anti-infectives drug developer. He is also chairman of SEHTA, one of the largest health technology networking organisations in the UK and a part-time Director of Alcuris, an emerging Telecare and Telehealth business. Until 2016, Nick was Chairman of Oxford BioMedica plc, a leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company and, through Ipso Ventures, he helped found Therakind, a developer of paediatric medicines.
Sachin Soni
Third Eye Asset Management

Sachin is the co-founder and Fund Manager of Third Eye Healthcare Fund. Third Eye is an open ended long-biased long/short global healthcare investment fund. The Fund’s objective is to generate long-term returns for investors by investing in carefully selected publicly listed healthcare companies. The Fund’s performance should come primarily from long positions, with short positions providing protection in the event of market corrections. The Fund maintains up to 50% exposure to European Healthcare. Prior to incorporating Third Eye in 2016, Sachin worked as Director and Head of the Life Sciences team in the securities division of Kempen & Co, a merchant bank in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. During his eight years at Kempen & Co from 2008 to 2016, he led a team of five, was responsible for coverage of the European Healthcare and Life Sciences sector and won Extel and StarMine awards for stock picking. He has over fifteen years of experience in life sciences, with an exposure to both private (Venture Capital) as well as public market investments, and has been involved in multiple IPOs and secondary transactions, raising over €1.0bn for various life sciences companies.
Julie Simmonds
Panmure Gordon & Co.

Julie joined Panmure Gordon in November 2015 from Canaccord Genuity. She has 20 years’ experience in life sciences research, covering both UK and continental European companies across a wide range of healthcare subsectors. Julie has a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Kent and experience in industry in both Europe and the US. She is also a panel member for NIHR i4i (invention for innovation), assessing early-stage medical technologies.
Dr Ivo Staijen
HBM Partners AG

Ivo currently heads up the Public Equity team at HBM Partners. This company was founded in 2001, with the goal to invest in private and public emerging biopharma and other healthcare-related companies. HBM Partners manages and advises several investment companies and funds, the best-known of which is HBM Healthcare Investments. Ivo joined HBM Partners in 2003 as Investment Advisor for the Biotechnology and Pharma sector. Prior to that, Ivo worked as a Biotechnology Analyst at Bank Sarasin, and before that was Department Head at MDS Pharma Services, Switzerland. Ivo studied chemistry at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and was a visiting scholar at the Department of Biology at MIT in 1991. He obtained his PhD in Biology from the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1996. He has over 18 years’ experience in investment management and research, and is a CFA Charter Holder since 2004.
Melanie Toyne-Sewell
Instinctif Partners

Melanie is a Partner, Life Sciences, at Instinctif and she leads on financial communications within the Life Sciences team. She has 20 years of experience advising life sciences companies on financial communications. Prior to joining Instinctif, she built and established the life sciences practice at the Hogarth Partnership. She was a Partner in the Financial Dynamics (now FTI) Life Sciences team and a Director at Merlin Financial PR. She has extensive experience of capital market transactions and corporate issues facing the pharma, biotech, medtech and healthcare industries, as well as advising specialist VC and IP commercialisation companies. Before entering business communications, she was at Price Waterhouse, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. She has a BA in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford.
Dylan Van Haaften
Bryan Garnier & Co.

Dylan started his career in Lifesciences Equity Research six years ago at various boutique investment banks in the Netherlands, and has covered the European MedTech and Biotech sector for Bryan Garnier & Co in Paris and most recently in London as head of the Healthcare Equity Research team. His experience ranges from research on public and private companies to fundraising activities. Dylan has a degree in Business and Finance from the university of Amsterdam.
Shortlist review
Read more about this year’s shortlisted companies by selecting an award below.
Best Communication Award
sponsored by Consilium Strategic Communications
The 2022 shortlist:
Alliance Pharma plc
Wiltshire-based Alliance Pharma is a leading international healthcare business. The group’s purpose is to improve the lives of consumers and patients through making available a range of clinically valuable healthcare products.
Alliance Pharma was one of the top performers in the benchmarking exercise due to its consistently high and clearly demonstrated best practice. The group’s Annual Report contained a forward-looking strategy section, which was underpinned by ESG values and included some engaging case studies. Alliance Pharma’s website was noted as being easy to navigate with a clean design and a wealth of content.
Calliditas Therapeutics AB
Stockholm-based Calliditas Therapeutics focuses on the development and commercialisation of a product candidate called Nefecon for the treatment of renal disease, IgA nephropathy. The group was also shortlisted for the Best Communication Award last year.
Calliditas has an active IR team who participate in a large number of investor conferences and events. The group’s Annual Report clearly presents Calliditas’ vision and demonstrates that ESG principles are integral to the group’s values. Calliditas has significantly increased its social media presence in addition to increasing its analyst coverage and engagement with shareholders both in Europe and the US.
Ergomed plc
Surrey-based Ergomed is dedicated to the provision of specialised services to the global pharmaceutical industry and the development of new drugs. The group was also shortlisted last year for the Best Communication Award.
Ergomed has invested in its IR presence by increasing retail investor media engagements and analyst engagements. The group’s Annual Report demonstrated best practice in several sections, including its strategy and forward-looking focus. Ergomed’s website was noted as being a useful and informative tool and its social media is well managed.
Evotec AG
Hamburg-based Evotec’s mission is to discover and develop highly effective therapeutics and make them globally available to patients. The group’s network of partners includes all of the Top 20 Pharma and hundreds of biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and other healthcare stakeholders.
Evotec was a strong performer in the bench marking exercise. The group’s Annual Report and website were observed to be very engaging due to the inclusion of creative hand-drawn illustrations. Evotec demonstrates the value it places on its employees and wider stakeholders and its risk management section was noted as being detailed and engaging.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc
London-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals aims to put better health within reach, every day. The group is a trusted, reliable partner and dependable source of over 670 high-quality generic, specialty and branded pharmaceutical products used by hospitals, physicians and pharmacists across North America, MENA and Europe.
Hikma demonstrated best practices throughout its annual report, making it a strong performer in the bench marketing exercise. Its leadership statements included future growth and returns for shareholders, in addition to incorporating KPIs, supported by images and graphs. The group’s strong online sustainability section includes diagrams and explanatory videos to help elevate stakeholder engagement.
Medica Group plc
Hastings-based Medica Group is the teleradiology market leader. The group provides hospital radiology departments with independent support to address serious capacity issues in both urgent and non-urgent reporting pathways. It is the trusted partner to over 50% of NHS organisations.
Medica is committed its IR communication and has some impressive IR content. The group’s Annual Report has an engaging and unique Human Story Q&A, sharing a clinical specialist’s experience of the impact of COVID on radiographers, setting the group apart from its competitors. Medica’s website includes a charity partnership page in the responsibility section, and it makes good use of images and icons throughout.
Breakthrough of the Year Award
sponsored by FTI Consulting
The 2022 shortlist:
Arecor Therapeutics plc
Cambridge-based Arecor Therapeutics is a global biopharmaceutical company. The group is using it proprietary formulation technology platform Arestat™, to develop a portfolio of proprietary products in diabetes and other indications.
Arecor started the year strongly with successful clinical data from its first clinical trials of lead product, AT247, an ultra-rapid insulin. This was quickly followed up with the expansion of its partner portfolio with companies including Lilly, Hikma and Intas. In June, the group successfully floated on AIM, raising £20m, providing funding to further develop its platform. Arecor then closed the year with its second insulin product, AT278, successfully completing its first clinical trials with results at the highest end of the group’s expectations.
argenx
argenx is a global immunology company, based in Belgium. The group partners with leading academic researchers through its Immunology Innovation Program (IIP), to translate immunology breakthroughs into a world-class portfolio of novel antibody-based medicines.
In December 2021, argenx announced the US FDA had approved VYVGART™ for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in adult patients who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive. These patients represent approximately 85% of the total gMG population. This significant regulatory milestone represented several breakthroughs for argenx. It was the group’s first approved product, the first and only FDA-approved neonatal Fc receptor blocker, and the first approved therapy designed to reduce pathogenic IgGs, an underlying driver of gMG.
AstraZeneca plc
Cambridge-based AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology. The group’s ambition is to provide cures for cancer in every form, following the science to understand cancer and all its complexities to discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines to patients.
In February this year, the group announced positive high-level results from the pivotal DESTINY-Breast04 Phase III trial, which showed AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu has the potential to redefine how breast cancer is classified and treated. A HER2-directed therapy has never before shown a benefit in patients with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, therefore these results represent a historic moment and a significant breakthrough for the group.
Calliditas Therapeutics AB
Swedish group Calliditas Therapeutics is focused on the development and commercialisation of the product candidate Tarpeyo, for IgA nephropathy, an orphan chronic autoimmune kidney disease for which there is no treatment available.
Calliditas’ breakthrough came in December 2021, with the US FDA approval of Tarpeyo to reduce proteinuria in adults with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) at risk of rapid disease progression. IgAN can progressively lead to the need for dialysis and/or kidney transplantation, however Tarpeyo offers disease-specific treatment for patients with this complicated disease. This approval marks the successful transition for Calliditas to a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company.
Destiny Pharma plc
Destiny Pharma is a clinical phase biotechnology company, based in Brighton. The group is dedicated to the development of novel anti-infectives, with a focus on infection prevention, based on its “in-house” XF platform.
In February this year, Destiny Pharma received positive Scientific Advice from the EMA following its review of the group’s proposed XF-73 Nasal gel Phase III programme design. This pivotal Phase III programme is expected to lead to the registration of the XF-73 nasal gel as a new drug in Europe. In addition, Destiny Pharma are continuing discussions with the FDA for Phase III designs in the US. The group estimates that sales could exceed $ 1bn in the US alone.
Molecular Partners AG
Switzerland-based Molecular Partners is a pioneer and developer of an entirely new class of therapeutics. The group aims to transform the lives of people with cancer and other serious diseases through its DARPin therapeutics.
In January 2022, Molecular Partners announced positive topline results from its Phase II global clinical study of ensovibep in acute COVID-19 ambulatory patients. The results showed approximately 80% reduction of the combined risk of hospitalization, emergency room visits, or death compared to placebo, regardless of vaccination status. Ensovibep offers a differentiated approach to treating COVID-19 through a single molecule that can target up to three parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus simultaneously to neutralize the virus through cooperative binding.
Best Technology Award
sponsored by MC Services AG
The 2022 shortlist:
Aptamer Group plc
York-based Aptamer Group is a leading provider of Optimer® binders for use in research, diagnostics and therapeutics. The group strives to deliver transformational solutions that meet the needs of researchers and developers across life sciences through use of its proprietary Optimer® technology.
Optimer binders are next-generation aptamer molecules derived from nucleic acids that function as an antibody alternative. Aptamer’s unique approach to Optimer® selection offers novel aptamers tailored explicitly for each custom project. The advantages of Optimer® binders are rapid development, batch-to-batch consistency, and cost-effective manufacturability, in addition to their ability to bind specifically to a broader target range than other affinity molecules.
Arecor Therapeutics plc
Cambridge-based Arecor Therapeutics is a globally-focused biopharmaceutical group. Arecor applies its innovative proprietary formulation technology platform Arestat™, to develop an internal portfolio of proprietary products in diabetes and other indications.
Arecor’s technology has the potential to unlock the future treatment landscape for diabetes, hospital care and many other therapy areas. Clinical data for Arecor’s two lead proprietary pipeline candidates demonstrate the strength of the group’s platform technology, with both products outperforming the market-leading insulins in clinical trials. The value and need for Arecor’s technology is proven by multiple revenue generating partnerships with major pharma and biotechs such as Hikma, Lilly and Intas Pharmaceuticals.
ONWARD Medical NV
ONWARD Medical was formed in 2014 by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The group’s ARC Therapy is designed to deliver targeted, programmed stimulation of the spinal cord to restore movement in people with spinal cord injury.
ONWARD Medical is developing two technology platforms which have been awarded three Breakthrough Device Designations by the US FDA. The group’s ARC-IM implantable device for spinal cord injury is the culmination of fundamental research over the last 20 years. Data has revealed the concept of calibrated biomimetic spinal cord stimulation in action in upper limb, mobility and blood pressure indications. ONWARD Medical devices are not yet approved for commercial sale, however the group has a claim as a first to market in these SCI indications.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
Headquartered in Oxford, Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology that provides rich data, and is fast, accessible and easy to use. The group makes devices dubbed, the “smartphone of sequencing”, to analyse Covid-19 variants.
Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of sensing technology that uses nanopores - nano-scale holes - embedded in high-tech electronics, to perform precise molecular analyses. The group offers the only sequencing technology to combine scalability from portable to ultra-high throughput formats with real-time data delivery and the ability to elucidate accurate biological data through the analysis fragments of native DNA or RNA. Researchers have used nanopore sequencing to generate data essential to combating the spread of COVID-19.
Spectral MD Holdings Ltd
Spectral MD is a predictive analytics company headquartered in Texas and quoted on AIM. The group has developed a platform that uses proprietary AI to predict how a wound will heal which is revolutionising the management of wound care.
Spectral MD has developed a product called DeepView®, which is a multispectral imaging AI technology with US FDA Breakthrough Device Designation status. The product is able to distinguish between damaged and healthy human tissue invisible to the naked eye, providing 'Day One' healing assessments for burn wounds and diabetic foot ulcers. Spectra’s unique and validated wound diagnosis device is enabling clinicians to work more effectively, in addition to achieving better patient outcomes.
Transgene
Transgene, based in France, is a biotech company that designs and develops targeted immunotherapy products against cancer. The group is exploiting the mechanisms of the immune response to allow patients to defend themselves against disease.
In November 2021, Transgene reported positive data for its novel individualised cancer vaccine TG4050. This individualized immunotherapy is based on Transgene’s advanced virus engineering platform, myvac, and NEC’s deep expertise in artificial intelligence. TG4050 is designed to educate the immune system against each patient’s most relevant neoantigen targets, tumour-specific antigens created by mutations in the malignant cells. Additional patients have been enrolled across the USA, UK, and France for further trials.
The Emerging Star Award
sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank
The 2022 shortlist:
bit.bio
Cambridge-based bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology enterprise. The group’s focus is to develop a scalable technology platform capable of producing consistent batches of every human cell, which has the potential to unlock a new generation of medicine.
During the period, bit.bio experienced significant growth in terms of funding, stakeholder engagement, leadership and business development as it continued to produce human cells at unprecedented scale, speed and consistency. Highlights include announcing the close of a $103m Series B round, in addition to expanding off the shelf cells for bit.bio’s research and drug discovery offering.
BiVictriX Therapeutics plc
Cheshire-based BiVictriX is a biotech company applying a novel approach to develop safer, more effective cancer therapies. The group’s Bi-Cygni® therapeutics are uniquely selective for particular cancer types, enabling higher dosing and more aggressive cancer eradication without causing harmful side-effects.
BiVictriX achieved several milestones that led to the shortlisting. In August 2021, the group floated on AIM, raising £7.5m. The funds will be used to progress the group’s lead asset, BVX001, an antibody-drug conjugate that has generated “encouraging” preclinical data. Following this, in February 2022, the group announced the expansion of its therapeutic pipeline with two additional programmes both entering the early stages of drug development, demonstrating the broad utility of its Bi-Cygni® approach.
Microbiotica Ltd
Cambridge-based Microbiotica was founded to exploit fundamental advances made at the Sanger Institute to address barriers to the translation of the microbiome. The group has a portfolio of programs in IBD, Inmuno-oncology and Gut Epithelial Repair.
Microbiotica is a pioneer translating new rigour in microbiome science, as demonstrated by the group’s collaborations with Cancer Research UK and the University of Cambridge to name a few. In March this year, Microbiotica completed the largest microbiome-related financing in Europe to date, via a £50m Series B fundraise. With its unique platform, highly experienced management team and major funding, Microbiotica is positioned to become a global leader in microbiome therapeutics.
MiNA Therapeutics
London-based MiNA Therapeutics is pioneering the development of an entirely new class of medicines, small activating RNAs (RNAas), with the potential to transform therapies against cancer and other diseases.
MiNA is building on decades of progress from the RNA industry, an area of significant focus throughout Covid-19, and is leading the way in RNA activation. The group had a transformational year for its internal pipeline by achieving clinical proof-of-concept with its first RNAa therapy and subsequently initiating a Phase II clinical trial in advanced liver cancer. Validation of MiNA’s approach came via a partnership with Eli Lilly worth up to $1.25bn, who will use the platform to develop RNAa medicines for up to five targets.
Quell Therapeutics Ltd
London-based Quell Therapeutics was founded in partnership with six world leading experts in the field of immunology. The founders have made a significant contribution towards understanding how to harness the suppressive capacity of Tregs in order to address immune dysfunction.
In November 2021, Quell raised $156m in an oversubscribed Series B Financing. The proceeds are being used to fund clinical development of QEL-001 in liver transplantation, accelerate development of Quell’s product pipeline across transplantation, neuroinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and to enhance its multi-modular engineered Treg platform and manufacturing footprint. QEL-001 is currently on-track to become the first multi-modular engineered CAR-Treg cell therapy in clinical development.
Sitryx Therapeutics
Oxford-based Sitryx Therapeutics is focused on regulating cell metabolism to develop disease-modifying therapeutics in immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation. Sitryx's proprietary science is led by a highly experienced management team and supported by world class academic founders.
Sitryx is positioned at the forefront of a rapidly evolving, and high impact, field of science known as immunometabolism. The group’s proprietary platform is being developed on the back of its innovative Product Engine, which exploits a unique cross-discipline approach to drug development. In July 2021, Sitryx announced it had entered into an exclusive, worldwide agreement to license IP rights from the world’s leading cancer charity, Cancer Research UK, for a promising new target to further complement the group’s portfolio.
Synaffix BV
Netherlands-based Synaffix has developed a clinical-stage platform technology that enables best-in-class antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as well as immune cell engagers and targeted gene therapy, under a technology out-licensing business model.
The 'one-stop' Synaffix ADC technology platform enables the development of proprietary best-in-class ADCs from any antibody and has already delivered 3 programs in Phase 1 with 15 ADCs in total being developed under license agreements by Synaffix partners.
The Synaffix approach is validated by over $3 billion in technology out-licensing deals with world renowned partners like Shanghai Miracogen, Mersana Therapeutics, ADC Therapeutics, Innovent Biologics, Profound Bio, Kyowa Kirin, Genmab, MacroGenics and Janssen (in collaboration with Mersana).
Mediscience Media Commentator of the Year Award
sponsored by Instinctif Partners
The 2022 shortlist:
BioCentury Team
For nearly three decades, BioCentury has given biopharma executives, investors and institutions the power to make business-critical decisions through independent, deep-dive analysis; high-quality data; industry-leading business intelligence; and global conferences.
The BioCentury Team comprises industry-recognized business and science editors, writers and analysts who deliver trusted intelligence 24/7. The group’s management team includes executives with backgrounds in the biopharma industry, finance, publishing, events and international business.
Clive Cookson/Financial Times
Clive has worked in science journalism for the whole of his professional life. As the FT’s science editor, Clive covers the entire span of science worldwide, from medicine and biology to physics and space exploration, including research funding and policy issues. Clive won the Mediscience Media Commentator of the Year Award in 2017.
Clive previously worked as science correspondent for BBC Radio. He joined the FT as technology editor in 1987 and has been Science Editor since 1991. Clive is an honorary member of the British Science Association and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Fierce Biotech Team
Fierce Biotech is a free daily email newsletter for the biopharma community. The newsletter keeps industry leaders up to speed on the latest news on biotech companies, drug discovery and development, venture capital, and more. Fierce Biotech is part of the Fierce Markets group, published by Questex.
Biopharma is a fast-growing world where big ideas come along daily, therefore there is no shortage of news on which Fierce Biotech can provide analysis, comment and data on drugs and the companies that make them. The Fierce Biotech team shows readers not only what they need to know, but why they need to know it.
Financial Times Health Team
FT Health is a monthly guide to the big issues at the intersection of global health and finance. The newsletter provides original news, interviews and data and showcases the best health journalism from the FT and beyond.
The FT Health Team had one of the toughest reporting jobs in history during COVID-19. The team’s most recent features include lessons learnt from the pandemic and the global challenges now present. The Healthcare team is a fundamental part of the FT, with Clive Cookson heading up Science and Sarah Neville covering healthcare. The team were subsequently joined by Hannah Kuchler, who extended her brief to Global Pharma correspondent, and Donato Mancini who covers the European Pharma market.
Siegfried Hofmann and Maike Telgheder/Handelsblatt
Siegfried and Maike have covered the pharma, healthcare and biotech fields for around fifteen years whilst working at Handelsblatt, a leading daily German newspaper. In 2014, Handelsblatt launched a digital, English-language edition, called Handelsblatt Global Edition, which aims to reach an international audience interested in German business and finance news.
Siegfried and Maike consistently demonstrate their broad understanding of the life sciences industry, both within Germany and internationally. Siegfried reports on the pharmaceuticals and chemicals branches from Frankfurt and Maike is Editor of the 'companies and markets' section, focusing on the healthcare industry and pharmaceuticals. Readers rely on the commentary from these journalists to remain updated on developments in the sector across the whole of Europe.
Melanie Senior
Melanie is an experienced biopharmaceutical industry analyst, reporter and commentator following strategic, commercial and scientific issues affecting the sector. She is a regular contributor to Nature Biotechnology, Informa Business Intelligence (IN VIVO, Datamonitor, Scrip) and EY Life Sciences.
Melanie is a long-standing industry commentator. She is known for her specialist and feature coverage and consulting across market access, pricing, outcomes-based care, precision medicine, digital health, AI, R&D strategies and consumer empowerment for a range of clients in biopharma and investment community.
Capital Market Transaction of the Year Award
sponsored by LifeSci Partners
The 2022 shortlist:
Abivax
Paris-based Abivax develops innovative treatments modulating the body’s natural immune system machinery to treat patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, viral infections and cancer. The group leverages its immune enhancing and antiviral platforms to develop drug candidates to treat ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and liver cancer.
In July 2021, Abivax announced the pricing of its oversubscribed capital increase of €60m in addition to convertible bonds of €25m. The transaction was executed despite difficult market conditions and is based on promising data from Abivax’s ongoing late-stage clinical development program with its lead compound, ABX464, which has demonstrated the potential to make a difference in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).
argenx
Netherlands-based argenx is a global immunology company committed to improving the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases. Through its Immunology Innovation Program (IIP), the group aims to translate immunology breakthroughs into a world-class portfolio of novel antibody-based medicines.
In February this year, argenx raised over $1bn from the sale of 1,608,000 ADSs at a price of $320.00 per ADS and the sale of 1,517,000 ordinary shares at a price of €265.69 per ordinary share. The funds raised will be used to expand the group’s leadership position in FcRn blockade to include a total of ten autoimmune indications by the end of 2022.
Heidelberg Pharma AG
Based in Germany, Heidelberg Pharma develops antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of oncological diseases. The group is the first company to use and develop the active ingredient Amanitin for cancer therapies, representing a new therapeutic principle.
In February 2022, Heidelberg Pharma signed a deal valued at over $1bn with Chinese company Huadong Medicine, comprising an exclusive licensing agreement, in addition to an investment agreement. Huadong will develop and commercialise Heidelberg’s lead candidate, HDP-101, for the treatment of multiple myeloma and HDP-103 for prostate cancer in large parts of Asia. In addition, Huadong will receive exclusive options for two of Heidelberg’s additional ADC candidates, establishing the group as a major player in the global ADC field.
Induction Healthcare Group plc
London-based and AIM listed Induction Healthcare is a leading flexible care platform driving digital transformation of healthcare systems worldwide. The group’s products enable information sharing between busy doctors, alleviate operational burdens on hospitals and put patients in better control of their care, all while ensuring the highest standards of clinical safety and information security.
Following the transformational acquisition of Zesty Limited in June 2020, Induction Healthcare completed the purchase of Attend Anywhere in June 2021. Attend Anywhere is a video consultation platform that enables Induction Healthcare to provide flexible care at a national scale across the UK. This transaction was pivotal for the group as it reinforced its already strong NHS footprint and is a strongly accretive acquisition, delivering £10.4m in revenues and £4.5m in EBITDA in the year to 30 June 2021.
Oxford Biomedica plc
Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire. The group is an innovative leading viral vector specialist with over twenty years of expertise. OXB uses its LentiVector® platform to develop product candidates in-house, before seeking partners to take the products into clinical trials.
In January 2022, OXB raised £80m in a share placing to acquire an 80% stake in a newly formed AAV focused manufacturing and innovation business. The transaction enables OXB to broaden its capabilities into the AAV segment, which represents a significant step forward in the group’s goal towards becoming a global viral vector champion with expertise across key viral vector types. In addition, the deal allows OXB to expand its presence into the US, making it a transformational transaction.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
Based in Oxford, Oxford Nanopore has novel DNA/RNA sequencing technology that provides rich data, is fast, accessible and easy to use. The group’s nanopore sequencing generating data has been essential during the pandemic to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Oxford Nanpore floated on the Main Market in September 2021, achieving a market cap of £3.5bn, making it the third-largest biotechnology listing globally. Shares in the group surged more than 40% after its IPO and analysts called the transaction a “game changer”, as listing in London bucked the trend for high technology floats to go to NASDAQ and provided a boost for European exchanges. Just a few weeks after announcing its plans to go public Oxford Nanopore raised another £195m, placing the group in the top ten money raisers among medtech startups.
Most Significant Contribution to the Mediscience Sector Award
sponsored by SP Angel
The 2022 shortlist:
Baillie Gifford
Baillie Gifford is a Global Investment Manager. The group is unique in the UK in being a large-scale investment business that has remained an independent private partnership. This ownership structure allows Baillie Gifford to keep its efforts focused entirely on its clients and their investments.
Baillie Gifford manages and advises £277bn in specialist equity, fixed income and multi-asset portfolios for a global client base. The objective of the group’s Health Innovation Fund is to invest in global equities selected from companies involved in the healthcare industry, as demonstrated recently by being a lead investor in Argenx’s two latest fund-raising rounds and in Exscientia’s $510m upsized IPO. Baillie Gifford’s Health Innovation Fund are long-standing investors in IP Group, including Oxford Nanopore’s IPO, in addition to being private investors in CureVac and long-standing investors in both Genmab and BioNTech. Baillie Gifford’s investments have contributed towards helping these companies achieve historical breakthroughs in science.
Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen/Novo Nordisk Foundation
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is an independent Danish foundation with corporate interests. The Foundation aims to provide a stable basis for the commercial and research activities of the companies in the Novo Group (Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S), in addition to supporting scientific, humanitarian and social causes.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation has been supporting fundamental research and the development of novel technologies for almost a century. The Foundation aims to help solve some of the major future health challenges and has implemented many new initiatives to benefit people and society, including awarding prizes to honour and reward individuals for outstanding scientific contributions, teaching or other efforts that support research. The number of jobs created through Novo Nordisk Foundation grants has more than doubled in the past 5 years. In 2020, a total of 5,500 people had jobs that were wholly or partly funded by grants from the Foundation.
Antoine Papiernik/Sofinnova Partners
Sofinnova is the largest independent European venture capital firm in life sciences, specialising in healthcare and sustainability. The group has backed more than 500 companies over 50 years, creating market leaders around the globe.
Sofinnova is celebrating its 50th year this year. Antoine has been with the group for over half this time, having joined the fund in 1997. Antoine believes Life Sciences investing is not just about recognising good science, it’s about people and learning how to interact with co-investors, limited partners, and entrepreneurs. Antoine has been an initial investor and active board member in a number of public companies, including Actelion, ProQR, Shockwave Medical, NovusPharma, Movetis (sold to Shire), and Pixium Vision. He has been selected twice for the Forbes Midas List and is one of the few European and life science investors to have appeared on the prestigious list.
Andreas and Thomas Strüngmann
The Strüengmann’s have been on a long and successful journey in the healthcare sector. The twin brothers have built a strong portfolio of biotechnology leaders with their €750m investment into emerging life science disciplines, including AiCuris and BioNTech.
The Strüengmann’s co-founded Hexal in 1986 and later sold the drugmaker (plus a stake in Eon Labs), to Novartis for some $7bn. Since then, the brothers have continued to fund breakthrough science and innovative biomedicines. As the largest founding investors of BioNTech, the Strüengmann’s have enabled the development of mRNA technology, famously resulting in the novel vaccine against COVID-19 that saved millions of lives.
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation
Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation is the largest private financier of research in Sweden, and one of Europe’s largest. The Foundation’s aim is to benefit Sweden by supporting basic research and education, mainly in medicine, technology, and the natural sciences.
The Chairman of Stockholm’s Enskilda Bank, K. A. Wallenberg, and his wife Alice, founded Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation in 1917. Since then, the Foundation has awarded over SEK 33bn in grants, and assets have grown to SEK 213bn, thanks to active, long-term investments. The Foundation initiates grants to strategic projects and scholarship programs, and in 2020 alone awarded SEK 541m in grants to 18 research projects offering high scientific potential.
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome is a politically and financially independent global charitable foundation, based in London. The group is funded by a £38.2bn investment portfolio and its strategy includes grant funding, advocacy campaigns and partnerships to find solutions for today’s urgent health challenges.
Wellcome was founded by Sir Henry Wellcome, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur. The group’s vision is to support science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. In response to this, Wellcome dedicates funding in three areas, on a global scale; Infectious diseases, by targeting research and resources to inform local, national and international actions needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to these threats; Global heating, by bolstering research into its harmful effects; And Mental health, by pulling disparate scientific and clinical fields together to accelerate the development of better treatments.
Best Newcomer Award
sponsored by Bryan, Garnier & Co
The 2022 shortlist:
Aelis Farma
Aelis Farma is a biotech company, based in France. The group has developed a new class of drugs, the signalling specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor (CB1-SSi), of which two compounds are at clinical stage.
Aelis Farma has developed two “first-in-class” drug candidates; AEF0117, which targets disorders linked to cannabis use; and AEF0217, which targets cognitive disorders such as those caused by Down’s syndrome. The group has acquired unique knowledge and capability regarding the pharmacology of CB1-SSi and has broadened its portfolio of compounds and patents targeting treatments for several brain diseases. In February 2022, Aelis Farma listed on Euronext Paris with a market cap of €175m, making it the largest IPO (by market cap) of a biotech over the past 5 years.
Amniotics AB
Amniotics is a biopharma company based in Sweden. The group develops cell therapy drugs based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from amniotic fluid. The company was born out of the discovery of a new source of stem cells in full-fledged amniotic fluid, which was based on a decade of research.
Amniotic’s platform enables the extraction of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) from amniotic fluid, which is recovered from healthy voluntary donors in connection with planned caesarean sections. These stem cells have unique properties for applications in regenerative medicine. The collection is safe for both mother and child and generates an easy-to-handle cell material. Amniotic listed on Nasdaq First North in June 2021, raising proceeds of SEK60m.
Arecor Therapeutics plc
Essex-based Arecor Therapeutics is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company. The group is applying its innovative proprietary formulation technology platform, Arestat™, to develop an internal portfolio of proprietary products in diabetes and other indications.
Arecor is an example of British innovation at its finest, with the idea to develop healthcare that is affordable for all. The group had an extremely successful year, starting with successful clinical data from the first clinical trials of its lead product, an ultra-rapid insulin. This was followed with the expansion of its partner portfolio with the likes of Lilly and Hikma, and then in June, Arecor successfully floated on AIM, raising £20m to further develop its platform. Arecor closed the year with its second insulin product successfully completing its first clinical trials, with results at the highest end of its expectations.
Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc
Headquartered in Oxford, Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of sensing technology that uses nanopores - nano-scale holes - embedded in high-tech electronics, to perform precise molecular analyses. Researchers have used nanopore sequencing to generate data essential to combating the spread of COVID-19.
Oxford Nanpore’s technology was validated via its listing on the Main Market in September 2021, which was the third-largest biotechnology listing globally with the group achieving a market cap of £3.5bn. Analysts called the transaction a “game changer”, as listing in London bucked the trend for high technology floats to go to NASDAQ. A few weeks after announcing its plans to go public Oxford Nanopore raised another £195m, placing the group in the top ten money raisers among medtech startups.
Spectral MD Holdings Ltd
Headquartered in the US, with offices in the UK, Spectral MD develops technology using predictive analytics and AI algorithms to help clinicians make more accurate and faster treatment decisions.
Spectral MD’s DeepView® Technology is a portable imaging platform that allows for immediate wound healing assessment and provides clinicians with physiological information that is not visible to the human eye. The group listed on AIM in June 2021, after raising £11.3m via an oversubscribed placing, giving the group a market cap of £80m. Listing in London was an important step in Spectral MD’s development to help boost growth in Europe and to access new capital.
Vimian Group AB
Stockholm-based Vimian is a global, fast-growing group of innovation-driven companies with a shared passion for improving animal health. The group brings together pioneering and entrepreneurial businesses in animal health, with an aim to create a uniquely diversified proposition of products and services.
Vimian covers four essential and rapidly evolving areas within animal health: Specialty Pharma, Diagnostics, Veterinary Services and MedTech. The group provides individual businesses with access to its networks, expertise, infrastructure and capital to accelerate innovation and growth. In June 2021, Vimian listed on Nasdaq First North in a Private Placement that was oversubscribed multiple times and attracted strong interest from high-quality institutional investors, including SEK5.1bn in cornerstone investments.
Chief Executive of the Year Award
sponsored by Panmure Gordon
The 2022 shortlist:
Lisa Anson/Redx Pharma plc
Lisa has been the CEO of Redx since 2018. Prior to joining the group, Lisa had significant leadership experience in global pharmaceuticals, including a twenty-year career at AstraZeneca. Lisa was the first female president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and was involved in helping the UK government develop a strategy for the sciences sector.
During her tenure, Lisa has led the transformation of Redx into a clinical stage biotech with two programmes in clinical development and a growing pipeline of preclinical assets. Lisa has been credited with the turnaround of the company, having joined the group just months after it emerged from administration, and has led the re-launch of Redx by taking the necessary steps to build a substantial biotech business. Lisa was the driving force in securing major partnership deals for four of Redx’s assets with large and speciality pharma, in addition to securing long term financing with blue chip life science focused investors.
Christian Hogg/HUTCHMED
Christian was the CEO of Hutchmed for fifteen years. He was the group’s very first employee having joined the group in 2000. Christian announced his retirement from the group in March this year after spending twenty-two years at Hutchmed. Prior to this, Christian spent ten years with P&G managing its detergent business in China followed by a move to Brussels to run P&G’s global bleach business.
Whilst at Hutchmed, Christian led all aspects of the creation, implementation and management of the group’s strategy, business and listing. This included the creation of the Hutchmed’s start-up businesses and the operational integration of assets that led to the formation of the company’s China joint ventures. Last year, Christian oversaw the group’s listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange, which raised $537m. Christian retires leaving Hutchmed with more than $1bn of cash, a portfolio of six in-house clinical-stage drugs and three medicines that are approved in China.
Sarah Howell/Arecor Therapeutics plc
Sarah has been CEO of Arecor since 2015. She joined the company in 2013 and since becoming CEO, has transformed the group from a technology licensing services business into a publicly-listed clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with a market cap in excess of £100m. Sarah started her pharmaceuticals career at GSK, working on antiviral medicines and prior to joining Arecor, was the VP, CMC & Technical Development at BTG plc.
Through Sarah’s leadership, Arecor has grown significantly. Sarah spearheaded the group’s £20m AIM IPO, raising the group’s public profile in the eyes of institutional and retail investors, and widening its shareholder base, in addition to securing multiple collaborations with major pharma companies. Sarah’s business acumen is highlighted in Arecor’s involvement in the London Stock Exchange’s international business support programme, ELITE. She is also involved in mentoring through alumni programmes as she is passionate about providing diverse role models to women coming into STEM.
Stuart Quin/Medica Group plc
Stuart joined Medica Group in September 2019. During his tenure Stuart has delivered for customers and shareholders alike, despite the impact Covid had on the business. Prior to Medica, Stuart was regional Chief Executive of Synlab, where he gained experience of delivering significant growth both in the UK and internationally and working in partnership with the NHS.
During the pandemic, Medica, saw its business and share price suffer as scanning capacity in the NHS was seriously impacted. However Stuart was laser focused on delivering the company’s strategy and ensuring volumes returned to pre-pandemic levels, despite the adversity faced. Stuart reorganised the business to integrate support functions and maximise efficiency and executed strategic acquisitions including Medica Ireland and RadMD, providing the group with entry into the $1bn global market of clinical trial imaging. Thanks to Stuart’s focus on execution, Medica’s share price has improved significantly and the group is poised to continue to continue its growth trajectory.
Miroslav Reljanovic/Ergomed plc
Miroslav is the Executive Chairman of Ergomed, in addition to being a medical doctor and a board-certified neurologist. He founded Ergomed in 1997, introducing the novel Study Site Coordination model as an intrinsic part of the conduct of clinical studies. Miroslav co-founded PrimeVigilance in 2008, now a leading specialist provider of pharmacovigilance services to the pharmaceutical industry and winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in both 2014 and 2019.
Miroslav has led Ergomed through a period of significant global expansion, resulting in a share price rise of over 15% during the period. This has included Miroslav overseeing the acquisition of ADAMAS in February this year, which brings a key complimentary offering to the business, in addition to integrating two further US businesses acquired in 2020 and leading the opening of a new office in Japan in April last year, establishing Ergomed’s presence in the APAC region. Miroslav’s has delivered key strategic milestones and achieved significant growth resulting in financial results ahead of market expectations.
Company of the Year Award
sponsored by WG Partners
The 2022 shortlist:
ALK-Abelló A/S
ALK is a global allergy solutions company with a wide range of treatments, products and services to meet the unique needs of allergy sufferers, their families and doctors. Headquartered in Hørsholm, Denmark, the company is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen.
During the period, ALK maintained its progress towards achieving continuous growth and improved profitability. Highlights from the group include completing its three-year transformation, gaining approval for paediatric use of the ragweed-tablet in the USA and completing a feasibility study for a peanut allergy product. The group reported its revenue grew by 12%, driven by higher sales, margin improvements, and efficiencies.
argenx
Shortlisted for three awards at this year’s European Mediscience Awards, Argenx is committed to improving the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases. The group is evaluating efgartigimod in multiple serious autoimmune diseases and advancing several earlier stage experimental medicines within its therapeutic franchises.
2021 was a pivotal year in the history of argenx due to several milestone achievements. It marked the year of the group’s first product approval of vyvgart and its official transition into an independent, fully integrated immunology company, owning the full value chain of a drug candidate – from identifying an immunology breakthrough to reaching patients. In addition, argenx advanced its late-stage efgartigimod trials across four indications, announced two new efgartigimod indications and started patient trials with its second candidate.
AstraZeneca plc
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused pharmaceutical company. The group is leading a revolution in oncology and its ambition is to provide cures for cancer in every form and to discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines to patients.
2021 was a landmark year for AstraZeneca. The group continued its strong growth trajectory, with its industry-leading R&D productivity and thirteen blockbuster medicines, in addition to completing a $39bn takeover of Alexion Pharmaceuticals. AstraZeneca delivered on its promise of broad and equitable access to its COVID-19 vaccine and received further positive news from its pipeline, including FDA emergency use authorisation of Evusheld and the approval of Tezspire, supporting a strong outlook for 2022.
Calliditas Therapeutics AB
Calliditas Therapeutics is focused on the development and commercialisation of the product candidate Tarpeyo, for IgA nephropathy, an orphan chronic autoimmune kidney disease for which there is no treatment available. Calliditas is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and the Nasdaq Global Select Market and has been shortlisted for three awards and this year’s European Mediscience Awards.
Calliditas had a transformational year, starting in December 2021, with the US FDA accelerated approval of Tarpeyo to reduce proteinuria in adults with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN). This marked Calliditas’ successful transition to a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company. The group has been actively pioneering research and development into this rare kidney disease for well over a decade, therefore the approval and subsequent commercialisation of Tarpeyo was a milestone moment. During the period, Calliditas also significantly advanced its other pipeline programmes, including starting a phase II programme in head and neck cancer.
Ergomed plc
Ergomed is a leading global provider of specialised services to the pharmaceutical industry with two key business areas, CRO and pharmacovigilance services. The group’s developments over the last year have put Ergomed firmly on the map with key stakeholders including media, analysts and investors.
Ergomed had a number of key developments during the period, making it a stand-out year for the business. The group continued to expand its global presence, opening an office in Japan to establish its presence in the APAC region. Ergomed further strengthened its position in the US following the integration of two key acquisitions from 2020, and completed the acquisition of ADAMAS in February 2022, solidifying the group’s position as a leading global pharmaceutical services provider.
Novo Nordisk A/S
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, whose aim is to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases such as obesity, rare blood and endocrine disorders. The group is pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to its medicines and working to prevent and cure disease.
During 2021 Novo Nordisk exceeded expectations by growing the business, serving more patients and expanding its pipeline for long-term success. The group’s Changing Diabetes® in Children partnership provided free, holistic diabetes care to nearly 32,000 children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes in low- and middle-income countries. Novo Nordisk’s strong commercial performance was driven by its portfolio of GLP-1 based therapies. The group’s acquisition of Dicerna demonstrated its ambition to innovate within both established and new therapy areas.
The event
Sponsorship
Sponsorship opportunities sometimes become available, including sponsorship of an individual award, sponsorship of the official drinks reception or sponsorship of the menu. Sponsorship opportunities are, by their very nature, limited. Costs and availability on request.
Hosting a table
Reservations are available for tables of ten people. Numbers are strictly limited and reservations are taken on a first come, first served basis.
Advertising
Advertising in the brochure is welcomed and enables your key messages to reach a highly targeted audience. The event brochure is available on the night and contains details of the names of all attendees, in alphabetical and table order. Thus it is widely used as a corporate finance reference guide for up to a year after the event.
Bespoke sponsorship opportunities
We offer a range of bespoke sponsorship packages, tailor made to suit your marketing objectives and budget. Further information on request.
Key details for guests
Date
Thursday 16 June 2022
Venue
Ballroom, Hotel InterContinental
One Hamilton Place
Park Lane
London W1J 7QY
Start time
6.00 p.m. – Drinks reception
7.30 p.m. – Dinner
9.15 p.m. – Awards
9.45 p.m. – After-dinner entertainment
12.00 midnight – Carriages
Dress code
Black Tie
Charity collection
A charity collection will be taken up during the course of the evening and the European Mediscience Awards team will be available throughout to accept contactless donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Location
Accommodation
Hotel InterContinental
If you wish to book a bedroom for the European Mediscience Awards, please use the link below. Suites are the only rooms now available.
Latest media
Charity
The European Mediscience Awards 2022 is proud to announce its support of the charities bccs and Sunflower Relief.
A charity collection was held at the gala dinner and the total amount raised, which was split equally between our supported charities, bccs and Sunflower Relief, was:
£6,347.50
bccs provides highly professional and well‑supported Social Workers and Counsellors to help children and young people who are in need.
bccs works in the East End of London and Essex with children, young people and their families and schools to help them overcome emotional difficulties, behavioural problems and their root causes. The prime focus of the work is to provide an early intervention service to enable them to address difficulties that may be impeding their educational, social and emotional development.
Sunflower Relief is a grassroots volunteer-led network that aims to connect the immediate needs of Ukrainian locals with immediate local solutions, emergency supplies, services, support, and capture first-hand accounts of the evolving situation on the ground to share with the wider world.
Sunflower Relief in numbers
Three months into the war:
- Team: 3
- Volunteers: 200+
- Humanitarian cases: 430+
- Funds matched/deployed: £1,250,000+
- Civilians helped on the ground in Ukraine: 130,000+
Gallery
Images from European Mediscience Awards 2022































































































































































































