Award recognises Wellcome Trust’s commitment to translational research
27 June 2011
The European Mediscience Awards celebrates and recognises excellence and success in the European mediscience sector. Now in its tenth year, it has become the largest annual gathering of publicly quoted pharma, biotech and medical device companies in Europe.
The accolade "Most Significant Contribution to the Mediscience Sector" recognises an individual, company, government department or research council that has made the single most significant contribution to the sector. Previous recipients include the European Medicines Agency and the BioIndustry Association.
Accelerating the application of research is part of the Wellcome Trust's strategic focus, and the organisation has a long history of science and enterprise. Through its Technology Transfer Division, the Trust helps to bridge the gap between fundamental research and commercial application by funding applied research and development projects to a stage where they are attractive to follow-on funders, such as venture capital firms, industry and public-private partnerships.
In 2010, the Trust spent £59 million supporting translational research across a spectrum of technologies and therapeutic areas. The past year has seen construction commence on a £38 million partnership between Wellcome Trust, GSK and the UK Government to develop a bioscience campus in Stevenage, the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, which is set to become a world-leading hub for early-stage biotechnology and life science companies.
The Trust also announced plans to extend its Seeding Drug Discovery funding initiative, established to support early-stage small-molecule drug discovery, with the injection of £110 million over five years.
Bina Rawal, Head of Medical Affairs at the Wellcome Trust - who collected the award on behalf of the Trust - said: "We are delighted to receive this Award, which is a testament to the excellence of our in-house team and the many expert advisors who assist us in identifying the best opportunities.
"Our support for translational research goes beyond funding alone - we play a very active role in mentoring, problem-solving and facilitating relationships with leading experts, to ensure that every project we fund has the best chance at success."
Image (L-R): Louise Minchin, awards presenter; Bina Rawal, Wellcome Trust (winner); Melanie Toyne-Sewell, College Hill (award sponsor); and David Wilson, Deputy CEO, Investment Banking, Matrix (lead sponsor). Credit: European Mediscience Awards.
