CHICAGO, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Biotechnology Industry
Organization (BIO) today presented three outstanding biotechnology
companies with the prestigious James D. Watson Helix Award for
Biotechnology Industry Leadership. BIO presented the awards in conjunction
with the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative and the Center for
Biotechnology, Stony Brook University. The winners are:
* Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, Calif.
* Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass.
* Novo Nordisk Inc., of Princeton, N.J.
The awards were given at the BIO 2006 Annual International Convention
in Chicago.
"These exceptional companies were singled out and recognized as
industry leaders by their peers. Each firm is devoting its resources to
developing cutting-edge science that will lead to breakthrough, life-saving
therapies. I congratulate them for their success and commitment to saving
and improving patients' lives," said Jim Greenwood, BIO's president and
CEO.
Richard Catalano, partner with KPMG LLP, who tabulated the results,
said, "We had a record number of applications for this year's Helix Awards.
The five-member judging panel had an extremely difficult time choosing
among the many outstanding submissions."
The James D. Watson Helix Award, the bioscience industry's only award
for outstanding corporate achievement, was created to celebrate the
importance, the excellence and the creative character of the industry. The
award recognizes biotechnology companies that have distinguished themselves
by setting a singular standard of corporate leadership as reflected in
performance in three distinct areas: scientific innovation, company growth
and corporate citizenship.
Large-Capitalization Winner: Genentech
Genentech, the founder of the biotechnology industry, is a company with
over a quarter-century track record of delivering on the promise of
biotechnology. The company commercializes and manufactures 12 protein-based
biotherapeutics for serious or life-threatening medical conditions, giving
it one of the leading product portfolios in the biotech industry. In 2005,
the company had an unprecedented year in product development with positive
Phase III data from eight clinical trials on four products.
"This recognition is a tribute to Genentech employees and their
contributions to the company's success," said Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D.,
Genentech's chairman and CEO. "Since Genentech's founding 30 years ago, our
focus on patients continues to motivate us in our quest to translate great
scientific research from our labs into breakthrough therapies to treat
serious diseases like cancer and blindness."
Emerging Company/Mid-Capitalization Winner: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Alnylam is working to build a leading product company based on novel
RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. RNAi, a recent breakthrough in
biology, is believed to have the potential to generate an entirely new
class of innovative medicines. In 2005, the company made significant
scientific and clinical progress, and executed important business
strategies that will help it continue to grow and build its business. Among
its achievements last year, Alnylam initiated two Phase I trials with a
candidate called ALN-RSV01, for the treatment of respiratory syncytial
virus infection. In addition, Alnylam formed a major alliance with Novartis
that represents one of the most significant innovation-based drug discovery
alliances in biotech.
"Alnylam is at the forefront of bringing an innovative new class of
human therapeutics to patients whose disease cannot be addressed with
today's medicines. We are grateful for this important acknowledgment of our
progress and achievements," said John Maraganore, Ph.D., Alnylam's
president and CEO. "We're indebted to our industry peers who have honored
us with this award, as our efforts to harness a breakthrough in biology for
human health would not be possible without the solid foundation and growing
success of the biotechnology industry."
International Winner: Novo Nordisk Inc.
A leader in diabetes care, Novo Nordisk in June 2005 won FDA approval
of Levemir(R) (insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection) for the treatment
of diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2). Later in the year, the FDA also
cleared the product for the treatment of diabetes in children. In
September, the company won approval of a new indication (supplemental new
drug application) for use of NovoLog(R) (insulin aspart [rDNA origin]
injection) for the treatment of diabetes in children.
Martin Soeters, president of Novo Nordisk USA, said, "As a leader in
using biotechnology to improve millions of patients' lives, Novo Nordisk is
honored to be recognized by our industry for our long and successful
history of innovations in diabetes care and other therapeutic biologic
therapies. These include the recent approval of our recombinant basal
insulin analog, Levemir, which makes us the first company with a full range
of insulin analogs, and the production of our lifesaving hemostatic
recombinant Factor VIIa, NovoSeven."
"At Novo Nordisk, we measure our success according to our Triple Bottom
Line, which holds us accountable for financial, social, and environmental
responsibility, so we are proud to have met the Helix award criterion for
corporate citizenship," Soeters concluded.
The James D. Watson Helix Award is presented by the Biotechnology
Industry Organization, the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative, and the
Center for Biotechnology, Stony Brook University.
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic
institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across
the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the
research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and
environmental biotechnology products.
SOURCE Biotechnology Industry Organization
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Related links:
http://www.bio.org
CONTACT:
Kim Coghill of Biotechnology Industry
Organization, Office: +1- 202-962-9200, or Cell: +1-202-369-0196
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