• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Starpharma Honoured With the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Leadership Award For Its Development of Revolutionary Products

Posted on: Monday, 8 August 2005, 12:00 CDT

Starpharma Holdings Limited (Pink Sheets:SPHRY) (ASX:SPL) today announced that it has received the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Leadership Award in recognition of the company's development of VivaGel(TM) and other polyvalent dendrimer-based products relating to the world nanobiotechnology market.

This Frost & Sullivan award is given each year to the company that has demonstrated an exceptional growth strategy within its industry. A detailed Award Description is attached.

Dr John Raff, Starpharma's Chief Executive Officer, said: "Although we are very proud of the company's achievements, this award has come as a surprise. We are delighted that Frost & Sullivan, a significant international market analysis group, has recognised Starpharma's growth strategy leadership and achievements."

Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Leadership Award in the World Nanobiotechnology Market

Award Description

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Growth Strategy Leadership is given each year to the company that has demonstrated an exceptional growth strategy within its industry.

Research Methodology

A recipient is chosen to receive the Growth Strategy Leadership Award based on specific criteria. Through primary and secondary research methods, all companies' market revenues are tracked and those exhibiting significant growth are noted for their strategy implementation. Revenues are then compared year to year to monitor growth patterns. When a company continues to show high growth rates, it is a candidate for the Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Leadership Award.

Measurement Criteria

This award is given to the company that has bolstered its position in the market during the base year, and whose strategy will have a lasting impact on the market. The award criteria are based on the following:

-- Technological innovation and leadership

-- Discovering new venues for an established product

-- Strategic mergers, acquisitions or joint ventures to penetrate new markets

2005 Frost & Sullivan Growth Strategy Leadership Award for Starpharma Holdings Limited

Frost & Sullivan presents the 2005 Growth Strategy Leadership Award to Starpharma for the development of revolutionary products in a new market sector in the world nanobiotechnology market. The company has established a strong and highly consolidated market position through collaboration and licensing. This position is currently unrivalled by other market participants.

Revolutionary Products in a New Market Sector

Founded in 1996, Starpharma is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The company is leading the nanobiotechnology market in the area of dendrimers; multibranched polymers with high functional specificity due to their highly defined structures. Starpharma's current product portfolio is focusing on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and systemic viral indications.

The Most Developed Lead Product to Date

The Starpharma lead product is VivaGel(TM), a topical polyvalent dendrimer-based vaginal microbicide gel for the prevention of HIV in women. This represents a significant area of unmet medical need. The product is currently in Phase I clinical trials and is currently the most advanced dendrimer-based therapeutic in development. SPL7013, the polylysine active ingredient of VivaGel(TM), has shown further effectiveness against a range of STIs, including chlamydia, genital herpes (HSV-2), hepatitis B virus and human papilloma virus.

Pipeline Diversification Across a Range of Indications

Starpharma is diversifying its growth strategy by developing a range of products in-house, which will then be available for licensing to pharmaceutical companies. To date, over 120 different dendrimers have been tested for their effectiveness against STIs.

Additionally, Starpharma is diversifying its target indication spectrum by investigating the application of dendrimers to the oncology and respiratory sectors. Dendrimers are also being tested for their application in biodefence. They have potential for the remediation of terrorist attack using biological agents such as Ebola virus.

The company is aiming to become a knowledge powerhouse in the dendrimer sector, a market which is set to expand rapidly when the first products reach the market and dendrimer manufacture becomes more cost effective.

Strong Market Positioning

Starpharma has consolidated its position through the establishment of collaborations and licensing agreements with industrial partners. The company is the largest (33%) stakeholder of Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc., (DNT) a manufacturer of dendrimers and a developer of dendrimer-based products in other fields of application. DNT is an important source of high quality and novel dendritic materials. Additionally, DNT has a powerful collaboration with the Dow Chemical Company, which has assigned 196 patents to DNT concerning dendrimer manufacture and development in a broad range of applications. Starpharma has exclusive license rights to the entire DNT IP portfolio for the field of "polyvalence," the broadest within the industry and an indication of significant industry consolidation. Starpharma has established further research collaborations with over 35 academic and public institutions across the United States, Europe and Australasia.

Starpharma has established supply chain collaborations, is investigating further potential applications of their lead products as well as investigating new sectors, and is developing a wide range of support to future third party partners. Based on these merits, Frost & Sullivan is proud to present Starpharma with the Growth Strategy Leadership Award for 2005.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics.

About Starpharma

Starpharma Holdings Limited (Pink Sheets:SPHRY) (ASX:SPL) is leading the world in nanomedicine. Its lead product in development is VivaGel(TM), a vaginal microbicide gel that has been developed for women as a preventative against the sexual transmission of HIV. It has also shown activity in animal studies for the prevention of other sexually transmitted infections including genital herpes. The Company has a broad range of opportunities arising from its innovations involving the discovery and development of pharmaceutical nanotechnology products using dendrimers and the multi-binding phenomenon of polyvalence. Development programs include multi-acting respiratory and anti-cancer applications.

Starpharma also has equity interests in two companies:

-- Dendritic NanoTechnologies, Inc. (DNT) - established with the pioneer of dendrimer nanotechnology Dr Donald A. Tomalia and based in Michigan, USA.

-- Dimerix Biosciences Pty Ltd - a specialist drug development company established to commercialise unique technology developed at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research in the new field of receptor coupling, specifically G-Protein coupled receptors ("GPCRs").

Microbicides: A microbicide inactivates, kills or destroys microbes. Microbicides may be formulated as gels, creams, sponges, suppositories or films with the purpose of reducing significantly the incidence of STDs. There are currently no vaginal microbicides on the market. They are intended for vaginal or rectal use to afford protection for varying periods, from several hours up to days. Microbicides may also be designed to have a contraceptive function by inhibiting sperm.

Dendrimers: Dendrimers are a type of nanoparticle. They are man-made chemicals that form tiny balls made up of a dense network of branches. Dendrimers have applications in the medical, electronics, chemicals and materials industries.

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs): Starpharma's ADRs trade under the code SPHRY (CUSIP number 855563102). Each Starpharma ADR is equivalent to 10 ordinary shares of Starpharma as traded on the Australian Stock Exchange. The Bank of New York is the depositary bank.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category