Melbourne, Australia: Starpharma Holdings Ltd (ASX:SPL;OTCQX:SPHRY) was last night named the industry’s 2012 Australian Company of the Year.

The Janssen 2012 Industry Excellence Awards were announced in Melbourne at Australia’s largest industry conference AusBiotech 2012, where Starpharma was awarded the top honour.

“This has been a break-out year for the company and to receive this acknowledgement from our industry peers is truly gratifying,” said Starpharma Chief Executive Officer Dr Jackie Fairley.

The Janssen 2012 Industry Excellence Awards - Company of the Year award - recognises a biotechnology or life sciences company that has demonstrated a significant achievement or achievements during the year with reference to commercial deals, advancement of product pipeline, intellectual property, company strategy or revenue.

Janssen-Cilag Managing Director, Chris Hourigan, said at the Award ceremony: “Janssen is delighted to sponsor the Industry Excellence Awards. Australia is a recognised global hub of innovation and we are constantly impressed by the high calibre of science, spirit of collaboration and commercial acumen demonstrated by Australian biotechnology companies and researchers and, in particular, the winners of this year’s awards.”

Starpharma’s major achievements for the year have included:

• The completion of two concurrent Phase 3 clinical trials of VivaGel^® as a treatment for bacterial vaginosis (BV).  Results from the trials involving 500 BV sufferers are expected by early December.
• A Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the US FDA which is a pre-agreement outlining the optimal make-up of a Phase 3 clinical trial of VivaGel^® for the treatment of BV.
• A Phase 2 clinical trial of VivaGel^® used as a preventive against BV recurrence also well advanced with results expected next year.
• A deal that will see Starpharma’s dendrimer technology used to develop innovative crop protection formulations for Nufarm’s product portfolio.
• A deal allowing global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to test whether Starpharma dendrimer molecules could enhance the effectiveness of existing cancer drugs.
• Improved efficacy and more recently, significant tumour-targeting results with Starpharma’s proprietary dendrimer-docetaxel formulation.
• A new dendrimer-glyphosate formulation which demonstrated improved efficacy and rain-fastness.

“I would like to acknowledge the dedication of all Starpharma staff and thank them for their contribution towards achievement of this Company of the Year Award.  I would also like to thank AusBiotech and Janssen for the Award which recognizes the sustained and company-wide effort that was needed to drive this progress.  We are proud recipients,” concluded Dr Fairley.

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