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New science firm already in running for top award

Xenogesis was set up a few months ago by senior scientist Dr Richard Weaver, who used to work for AstraZeneca, which closed its renowned Charnwood R&D facility early last year.

It provides outsourced research for small pharmaceutical companies looking for new drugs, specialising in testing the body's reaction to a drug.

Only last month, the firm said it had exceeded its initial revenue targets by 300 per cent.

Now, it is in the running for the Start-Up prize in the Medilink East Midlands Awards, which recognise innovation and achievement among healthcare, bioscience and medical technology companies across the region.

Medilink East Midlands is a networking organisation for healthcare and bioscience companies, and XenoGesis is one of no less than five businesses in Nottinghamshire who are in the running for its awards.

The other Notts firms are:

Biotechnology company Novozymes Biopharma, which is a finalist for both innovation and outstanding achievement;

Medibord, which manufactures boards suitable to support patients undergoing scans, whic is vying for the NHS Partnership award;

ViVO Smart Medical devices is up for the same award. It has developed the Pupiloscope a hand-held electronic medical device, which digitally measures and records pupil size and dilation in a patient's eyes;

Advancis Medical, which manufactures wound-care products, is up for both export and outstanding achievement awards.

Dr Darren Clarke, the chief executive of Medilink East Midlands, said: "Notts is home to some of the UK's most innovative companies in medical technologies, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

"As finalists in this year's awards these firms have shown themselves capable of translating research into commercial products with a ready market.

"Between them, their services impact millions of lives."

The awards ceremony will be the culmination of Medilink's Innovation Day, a conference for the region's leading businesses and academics in the sector, at Nottingham's Belfry Hotel on Thursday, May 17.

This year's theme, Managing the Future has attracted speakers from Alliance Boots plc and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Source:www.thisisnottingham.co.uk|

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