The 2019 AusBiotech and Johnson & Johnson Industry Excellence Awards are now open for nominations to recognise the highest achievers in the Australian life sciences. This year’s industry awards will be presented at AusBiotech 2019 in Melbourne.
The prestigious awards recognise the leading lights of Australia’s world-class biotechnology and medical technology sectors, including researchers who successfully translate their discoveries into clinical practice and companies who pioneer the developments of new treatments, devices and reliable diagnostics.
Nominations for the awards are open until Friday 27 September 2019 in the following categories:
Industry Leadership Award - This award seeks candidates who have already made a significant difference to the industry and have an outstanding commitment to life sciences/biotechnology that often goes beyond the 'job description'. Candidates will be known for their passion, enthusiasm and commitment to the industry in Australia.
Australian Company of the Year - The Australian Company of the Year will be awarded to a company that has demonstrated significant achievement/s, and may include any company working in biotechnology or life sciences, including but not limited to the medical diagnostics or devices, pharmaceutical and agricultural biotechnology sectors. Criteria for companies may include deals done, product pipeline, IP, company strategy and/or revenue.
Australian Emerging Company of the Year - The Emerging Company of the Year award will be based on the same criteria as the previous category, but be specific to companies under five years of age.
The awards will be presented on Thursday 31 October at AusBiotech 2019. Find out more or nominate a company or individual for an award.
2018 Award winners
Industry Leadership Award - Dr Anna Lavelle has dedicated her life to biotechnology. She has worked for over 25 years campaigning for the growth and expansion of the life sciences and medical technologies sector. Anna spent 11 years as AusBiotech’s CEO where she advocated for policy changes, including the R&D tax incentive. During this time, she became the only Australian to be recognised by Nature Scientific America as one of the world’s top 100 visionaries in biotechnology. In addition to currently being the Independent Chair of Medicines Australia, Anna continues to serve the industry via a number of governance and advisory roles.
Australian Company of the Year - Medicines Development for Global Health is dedicated to developing affordable medicines and vaccines that may have limited commercial opportunity, but which address important unmet medical needs. Their sustained record of commitment and achievement in the biotechnology industry has recently culminated with US FDA registration approval for moxidectin to treat river blindness; an extraordinary accomplishment on many fronts.
Joint Emerging Companies of the Year - Telix Pharmaceuticals, established in November 2015, has demonstrated impressively rapid growth. Developing molecularly-targeted radiation (MTR) therapies, which are killing cancer cells, shrinking tumours and halting disease growth. Telix Pharmaceuticals was ASX listed in November 2017 and raising more than $50 million, they represent the largest capital raised for a biotechnology company since CSL in 1997. Fighting global health concerns, they are leveraging their international collaborations and relationships while fostering local talent, having created more than 20 new positions in 2018 alone.
Microba has developed the first at-home faecal test to identify species-level resolution of gut microbiome. A spin-out from the University of Queensland, they have raised $7 million in Series A Capital, and, this year, launched their first product to market. Already supplying over 3,000 individuals with personal gut health information, they have raised over $1 million in revenue. Microba has also built research and development facilities (including a state of the art laboratory), a database of over 800 newly discovered species of microorganisms, filed three international patents, and has 40 research partnerships with Australian academics, clinicians, and other companies to advance gut microbiome research.