Pharmaceutical firms win Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

Of the 156 Queen’s Awards to be announced today (21 April), eight operate in the sectors covered by this magazine. Overall, 102 companies won awards for international trade, 44 for innovation and 10 for sustainable development.

Two firms won awards for Innovation in the pharmaceutical sector: Molecular Profiles and Payne Security. In addition, six firms took awards for International Trade: Miller and Miller (Chemicals); Softbox Systems; Malvern Instruments; ClinTec International; ID Business Solutions; and Norbrook Laboratories.

Molecular Profiles in Nottingham took its award in the Innovation category for its nanoPASS (nanoscale Predictive Analytical Screening Solution) analytical service that improves development of new pharmaceuticals by exploiting the latest advances in nanotechnology to yield key physical and chemical data from minute quantities of many possible drug candidates. This helps clients predict those candidates that are most likely to make it to market. It also enables them to reduce r&d and production costs and allows an earlier introduction of new medicines to market.

Nikin Patel, chief executive of Molecular Profiles, said: ‘This great success could not be achieved without the expertise of our team. This accolade recognises their commitment and ability to solve some of the toughest drug development issues.’

Also based in Nottingham, Payne Security, a trading division of Filtrona C&SP, won an Innovation award for its covert authentication system. The system consists of an invisible chemical marker – usually incorporated into inks and lacquers used to print product packaging, security documents and fiscal stamps – which can only be identified using a uniquely programmable reader device. Thus counterfeiters and those involved in smuggling pharmaceuticals cannot detect whether or not goods have been security marked.

Stephen Pinchen, business development director at Payne Security, said: ‘This is deserved recognition for the hard work, skill and dedication of our whole team at Payne Security, who will take great pride from this award.

‘Our challenge remains continually to raise the bar in innovative security systems, using our skills and expertise to develop technology that makes counterfeiting and smuggling activity ever more difficult.’

Miller and Miller (Chemicals), of Hainault, Essex, a supplier of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment for use in overseas hospitals, took an International award for more than doubling its overseas earnings in three years. Its main markets are in the Middle East, but it has other important markets in Europe, the Far East and Australasia and is developing exports to the US, Africa and China.

I D Business Solutions (IDBS) of Guildford, Surrey, a provider of data management, analytics and modelling solutions software won its award in the International category for the second time, most recently for growing overseas income over three years by £8m to £51m.

‘As a British company competing against a number of overseas players, we are absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award,’ said Neil Kipling, ceo of IDBS. ‘I am thrilled to see our recent success recognised in this manner.’

Softbox Systems of Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire designs and manufactures temperature-controlled packaging solutions to maintain pharmaceuticals, medicines, diagnostic and biological materials at the desired temperatures for shipment by air or sea. Consignment sizes range from small single vials up to full, size air or sea cargo pallets.

The company took an International award because its export earnings have more than doubled over three years to £5m from its markets in Europe, North America, the Middle East, North Africa and India. It has also developed new markets in Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia.

Scientific instrumentation developer Malvern Instruments won an International award for the second year in succession. This is the seventh time that the firm has been recognised in the Queen’s Awards.

The Malvern, Worcestershire-based firm increased its overseas earnings by more than 80% through continuous and sustained growth over six years. This has resulted in export sales of more than £326m over the period and the creation of 32 jobs.

‘I don’t normally boast about our successes, but this really is an achievement that should make everyone working for, or associated with, Malvern Instruments proud,’ said md Paul Walker. ‘Two Queen’s Awards in two successive years, at a time of considerable economic uncertainty, should see every member of our teams giving themselves a pat on the back.’

ClinTec International, based in Glasgow, Scotland, provides contract research services to the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. It assists development of new medicines by providing expert personnel to clients' research teams.

ClinTec won an International award for the first time for growing overseas income by 152% over three years to a total of £25m. Its services are sold to some 40 countries worldwide and virtually all sales are overseas.

ClinTec’s ceo Rabinder Buttar said: ‘I’m proud of the entire ClinTec team and our motto ‘fast, flexible, focused’ has empowered us to deliver outstanding service to our clients. We have always recognised the importance of our international opportunities and have been at the forefront of entering the emerging markets of clinical research. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade is a fantastic recognition of the efforts we’ve made.’

Norbrook Laboratories, based in Newry, County Down, develops human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, animal health products and chemical raw materials. The company took its fifth Queen’s Award for export, having won previously in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2002. It continues to invest heavily in r&d and to achieve consistently high export sales in spite of competitive market conditions.

Over the past six years the company's export earnings have increased by £41m and its total export earnings over the same period exceeded £532m from its markets in 100 countries worldwide. It now exports well over 80% of its output.

Winners of The Queen’s Awards will receive a company visit by a Royal representative during the year when they will be presented with a crystal bowl and an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace in July. They can also use The Queen’s Award Emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for a period of five years as a symbol of their quality and success.

For details of next year’s awards, go to:

https://www.gov.uk/browse/business