CYP Design, a de Montfort University spin-out, has been named East Midlands Startup of the Year. Spun out from the Leicester-based university’s School of Pharmacy, the company helps support drug discovery research.
The company, which commercialises research by professor Bob Chaudhuri, is aiming to make discovery and creation of new drugs easier and more affordable. The technology uses proteins, called cytochrome P450s, which can be found in the human liver and are responsible for metabolising drugs, to quickly identify chemical compounds that seem promising but may be toxic to humans.
The proteins, as they are currently used by the industry, are unstable to ambient temperatures (making storage difficult) and expensive. Chaudhuri’s research allows the proteins to be used at room temperature and toxicity testing to be automated.
The Medilink award for best startup was sponsore by Morningside Pharmaceuticals, itself also based in Leicestershire and focussed on affordable health care products.
Bill Primrose, CEO of CYP Design, said: “The competition in our category was steep, so winning the best startup award is a massive boost of confidence for our business at this early stage, and serves as testament to the hard work and effort invested by our whole team.”
