Orthomimetics selected as finalist for the MacRobert Award

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Friday, June 05, 2009

Orthomimetics, the UK based regenerative medicine company, has been chosen as one of four finalists from a record number of entries for the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award.

The MacRobert Award, established in 1969, is presented to recognise the successful development of innovative ideas in engineering and to demonstrate the role of engineers and scientists in contributing to national prosperity and international prestige. Orthomimetics (OM) has been selected as a finalist for its successful development of Chondromimetic, a dual-layered medical implant that supports the natural regeneration of bone and soft tissue in injured joints, aiding recovery and avoiding or delaying the need for joint replacement surgery. OM achieved CE Mark approval for Chondromimetic in December 2008 and has launched a comprehensive clinical trial programme.

The other finalists selected alongside Orthomimetics are:

• Rolls-Royce plc for the Trent 900 gas turbine aero engine, providing efficient power for the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft.
• The Arup Group Ltd for the Beijing National Aquatics Centre - the Water Cube - built for the 2008 Olympics but now providing a legacy as a vast integrated water venue.
• QinetiQ Group plc for the Tarsier system which automatically detects debris on airport runways, saving time and improving safety.

Dr Geoffrey Robinson CBE FREng, chairman of the judging panel and formerly Director of Technology, IBM UK said:

“The challenge of picking a winner from such a strong field is heightened by the breadth of engineering excellence on offer: from technologies that have undergone revolutionary change since 1969, to those that would then have seemed inconceivable. The diversity of the engineering is matched by that of the organisations in which it is being developed: from those that have re-invented themselves, sometimes more than once, over the past 40 years, to those led by people who weren't even born when the MacRobert Award was first presented. Whichever team emerges the winner, we can be confident that British engineering innovation will emerge in winning form from the current downturn."

Commenting on the selection, Andrew Lynn, CEO of Orthomimetics said:

“It is an honour to have been chosen as a finalist for the MacRobert Award. To have been nominated alongside companies with such exceptional track records is a tremendous endorsement of our technology, our products and the efforts of our talented and dedicated team.”

The winner will be announced at the Awards Dinner at the Imperial War Museum in London on 9 June.

Editors Notes

Orthomimetics Limited is a medical technology company that specialises in the design, development, and manufacture of regenerative medical implants and minimally invasive delivery systems for the treatment of sports injuries, trauma and other conditions that affect knees, ankles and other articular joints. Formed in 2005 as the first spin-out venture from the Cambridge-MIT Institute, the company is bringing to market a line of medical device products designed to improve the treatment outcome of first-line surgical procedures for the regenerative repair of articular cartilage, meniscus, ligament and tendon injuries using natural biomaterials. These products are engineered to be compatible with existing surgical techniques and to work in combination with emerging cell- and biologics-based products. For further information on Orthomimetics please go to our website: www.orthomimetics.com or contact Katherine Webster: kbw@orthomimetics.com

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