Irish firm Celtic Catalysts has been named the international winner of the “Rising Star Award” at the BioIndustry Association (Scotland) Thistle Bioscience Forum 2008.
The Dublin-based firm, which supplies products and technology to the fine chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, was among four Irish firms that took part in the Rising Stars showcase; BiancaMed, EnBio and Luxcel Biosciences were the other Irish representatives. Eight other firms from Scotland and Israel were also participating in the showcase.
All four Irish companies are currently working on pioneering technologies to help improve the population’s health and wellbeing.
Celtic Catalysts is involved in the area of chiral synthesis and specialises in P-chiral technology, which can be used in the production of drugs for the anti-viral and anti-cancer therapeutic areas.
Chief executive Dr Brian Kelly said the firm was delighted to have won the international award. “It is a wonderful endorsement of the tremendous hard work of our team over many years to develop and build our IP portfolio and our strategy of translating that portfolio into a dynamic and growing business of international reach.”
The company was founded as a spin-out from UCD’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology by Dr Kelly and Professor Declan Gilheany in 2000. Celtic Catalysts, which currently employs a staff of 17, is headquartered in NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD.
Biotechnology has been identified as a key area for investment and is central to the Government’s long-term economic strategy in building Ireland’s new knowledge-driven economy. In November Science Foundation Ireland announced EUR87 million would be pumped into biotech and ICT research projects.