NovaBiotics Wins Life Science Business Leadership Award

NovaBiotics Ltd, the Aberdeen-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company was awarded the Life Science Business Leadership Award at the Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Annual Dinner on 6 February 2014 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

The Life Science Business Leadership Award is presented to the business leader or management team who has significantly advanced their company in the previous year, with factors such as financing, partnerships, collaborations, achievement of milestones and growth being taken into consideration.

NovaBiotics’ CEO, Dr Deborah O’Neil, won the award for her leadership and vision which has been instrumental in the growth of NovaBiotics. After 11 years of work and 3 years of contract development, Deborah and her team secured an exclusive agreement with Taro Pharmaceuticals to license and co-develop the Company’s lead product Novexatin in August 2013, which is among the largest deals reached in the Scottish life science arena in recent years. NovaBiotics’ unique and ambitious strategy has also been recognised.

Dr O’Neil said: “I am proud of what NovaBiotics has achieved thus far and the Life Science Business Leadership Award reflects this. Our deal with Taro Pharmaceuticals is a huge success for the company and demonstrates industry confidence in our approach. By sticking to our business model and focusing on the results that our research was producing, we have created a solid foundation for our products and vision. Through all of this, we have been very fortunate to have been supported by organisations like the Scottish Enterprise, funding bodies, excellent, sector-specific mentors and a very talented team.”

The awards ceremony, hosted by Scottish Enterprise, recognises the success and achievements of Scotland’s internationally renowned life sciences sector in areas including innovation, investment, community engagement and collaboration. Scottish Enterprise identifies and exploits opportunities for Scotland's economic growth by supporting Scottish companies to compete, helping to build globally competitive sectors, attracting new investment and creating a world-class business environment.

Julia Brown, Director of Life and Chemical Sciences, Scottish Enterprise, said: “Congratulations to Dr O’Neil and to NovaBiotics. This is a fantastic achievement and the company’s continued success, including its international outlook, is very much testament to the innovation, drive and vision that Dr O’Neil demonstrates on a daily basis.”