Haptogen directors, Jim Reid, chief executive officer, and Professor Andy Porter, chief scientific officer, were honoured on Monday night with the title Ernst and Young UK Entrepreneur of the Year in the Science and Technology category. The announcement was made at a banquet, held in Central London. The duo fought off competition from other regional winners to win the top prize.
Following the presentation ceremony Jim Reid said: “It’s a great honour to receive this prestigious award. It comes at an exciting time for the company. The team is expanding further - and our major collaborative research agreements, such as that with a leading Korean pharmaceutical company for the development of novel antibiotics, are progressing well.”
Jim Reid and Andy Porter are two of the founders of Haptogen Ltd – a company which spun-out from the University of Aberdeen, one of the world’s leading centres in antibody engineering. Jim Reid provides the company with valuable business skills gained during more than 25 years in the bioscience industry – and Andy Porter’s significant expertise in the field of antibody development provides the hands on know-how.
Haptogen was formed in 2002, a time when the challenges of establishing a drug development company were significant. It was the entrepreneurial spirit of the founders which ensured that the company quickly generated revenue without needing to rely on external funding to grow the business.