Ireland's Celtic Catalysts wins "rising star award" at international biotech competition

Celtic Catalysts was among the four Irish biotech companies, all members of IBEC’s Irish BioIndustry Association (IBIA), who took part in the international “Rising Stars Showcase” competition along with 8 other companies from Scotland and Israel. Each of the participants pitched their companies and development strategies to a panel of experts and an invited audience before Celtic Catalysts was announced the overall winner after a confident and polished pitch by Kevin Dalton, Sales Director.

Dr Brian Kelly and Professor Declan Gilheany co-founded Celtic Catalysts in 2000 as a spin-out from UCD’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Celtic Catalysts currently employs a staff of 17 and is headquartered in NovaUCD, the Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD.

Celtic Catalysts’ focus is on the area of chiral synthesis and it has developed a comprehensive portfolio of intellectual property and carved out a uniquely strong niche for itself in the specialised area of P-chiral technology. This technology can be used in the production of a range of drugs which are particularly prevalent in anti-viral and anti-cancer therapeutic areas.

Commenting on the win, Dr Brian Kelly, CEO said, “Celtic Catalysts is delighted to have won this international award. It is a wonderful endorsement of the tremendous hard work of our team over many years to develop and build our IP portfolio and our strategy of translating that portfolio into a dynamic and growing business of international reach.”

The IBIA is the leading representative body for the biotechnology industry in Ireland. Celtic Catalysts and the three other Irish companies who took part in this competition; BiancaMed, which is also based in NovaUCD, EnBio and Luxcel Biosciences are all working on pioneering technologies which will ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of people all around the globe.

Eleanor Garvey, chair of IBIA and Site Leader in Pfizer Ireland, Dún Laoghaire, said, “It is extremely encouraging to see Celtic Catalysts an Irish biotech company win an internationally competition of this calibre.” She added, “Ireland continues to punch well above its weight at a global level and it is important that indigenous Irish companies have the necessary supports to attain their commercial potential.”