North East biomedical companies honoured at awards ceremony

The brightest and best in North East biomedicine were honoured for their achievements at the annual Biomedical Awards last week.

The ceremony, hosted by Bionow at at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, saw 16 regional biomedical companies battle it out for the top spots.

The event, which took place on February 28, saw Mammoth Technologies, walk away with the Sintons LLP award for Outstanding Growth after they reported an increase in profit last year of over 100%.

Mammoth Technologies specialise in mattresses which support recovery for spina bifida and cystic fibrosis sufferers.

However, a collaboration with the University of Northumbria’s Sleep Research Centre led to company looking beyond the clinical sector and emerging into new markets, including sports.

WhiteWash Laboratories, took home the award for excellence in export, sponsored by UK Trade & Investment.

The Middlesbrough-based company, specialising in oral care products were recognised for their successful export strategy which has resulted in export sales generating a third of their revenue.

The Innovation and Technology award, sponsored by Newcastle Science City and NewcastleGateshead Initiative, was handed to QuantuMDx for their development of a revolutionary diagnostic product.

The company, based at Newcastle’s International Centre for Life, is developing the first handheld, sample-to-result device for DNA extraction which can process a sample ready for detection in under 10 minutes.

Jonathan O’Halloran founder of QuantuMDx, and also known as the ‘Biotech Rockstar’ was named Promising Technologist of the Year, sponsored by SRG..

Mr O’Halloran, who started out at a in a garage lab, was honoured for his strong passion for innovation and the novel technologies he developed within the company.

The Partnership/Collaboration of the Year Award sponsored by Newcastle Biomedicine, Newcastle University, went to partners of ten years, Neural Pathways (UK) and Keiro.

Keiro provide a pathway of specialist care, nursing and rehabilitation to help patients from hospital to home. Neural Pathways contribute therapeutic input as part of the multi-disciplinary team at Keiro.

This successful partnership has seen 60% of Keiro’s clients discharged into the community with reduced needs and at a lower cost than traditional nursing care.

Geoff Davison, CEO of Bionow, said: “Congratulations must go to all the winners and those shortlisted on their success.

“We have received many high-calibre entries for this year’s Biomedical Awards which demonstrate the amazing capability and versatility of the biomedical sector across the North of England.”