Awards

The PLG Business Development Awards are a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate achievements in deal-making across the life-science industry during the last 12 months. The awards feature a mix of individual and business development team categories.

The 2021 PLG Business Development Awards were held on 31 March 2022 in London. We were delighted all 4 award winners could join the evening to accept their awards in person.


PLG Licensing Deal of the Year

Nominations are welcomed from companies across the healthcare industry who executed a licensing deal that completed between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022. Entries will be judged by reference to the deal’s overall impact, including its value, strategic fit, market impact and whether the deal was or has the potential to be transformational for the company, organisation, business unit or industry.

Previous Winners

  • 2021 – Oxford Biomedica | licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim
  • 2020 – Bicycle Therapeutics | partnership with Genentech
  • 2019 – King’s College London & Wellcome | licence HCN2 Protein developments for chronic neuropathic pain

PLG Collaboration of the Year

Nominations are welcomed from companies across the healthcare industry who entered into a collaboration, including a partnership to co-develop or co-promote, between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022. Entries will be judged by reference to the collaboration’s overall impact, including its strategic fit for all partners, any unique or innovative attributes of the partnership structure, and whether the collaboration has the potential to be transformational for the asset being partnered, the companies or organisations involved or the industry.

Previous Winners

  • 2021 – PharmEnable | risk sharing collaboration agreement with Sosei Heptares
  • 2020 – Joint Winners – AstraZeneca & Pfizer | respective Covid-19 vaccine developments
  • 2019 – Exscientia | collaboration with Celgene on three programs in oncology and autoimmunity

PLG Acquisition Deal of the Year

Nominations are welcomed from companies across the healthcare industry who entered into an asset or business acquisition that completed between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022. Entries will be judged by reference to the deal’s overall impact, including its value, strategic fit, market impact and whether the deal was transformational for the company, business unit or industry.

Previous Winners

  • 2021 – AstraZeneca | acquisition of Alexion
  • 2020 – Bayer | acquisition of Asklepios Biopharmaceutical
  • 2019 – Biogen | acquisition of Nightstar Therapeutics
  • 2018 – Mundipharma International | acquisition of Cinfa Biotech deal

PLG Business Development Best Newcomer of the Year

The third award is awarded to a new entrant or person with limited experience who has made significant progress in their business development skills and experience.

Previous Winners

  • 2021 – Anna Gran, Novo Nordisk
  • 2018 – Michale Bouskila-Chubb, Healx
  • 2017 – Judith Parker, Public Health England
  • 2016 – Benjamin Owens, EUSA Pharma
  • 2015 – Anne Vroon, Genmab
  • 2014 – Arnaud Wieczorek, Onxeo
  • 2013 – Cedric Ververken, Ablynx
  • 2012 – Peter Huber-Saffer, AstraZeneca, Germany
  • 2011 – Ashley Cox, Glenmark
  • 2010 – Angela Columbano, Merck
  • 2009 – John Strafford, Antisoma & Giorgio Pinci, Merck Serono
  • 2008 – Rebecca Forster, Mundipharma
  • 2007 – Steve Skilleter, Thornton Ross

PLG Business Development Executive of the Year

Nominations are welcomed for an individual who exceeded expectations and made an exceptional or unique contribution in support of a business development deal or deals that completed between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022.

Previous Winners

  • 2018 – Alex Falgas, Accord Healthcare
  • 2017 – Jane Dancer, F-star Biotechnology
  • 2016 – Karen LaRochelle, PsiOxus Therapeutics
  • 2015 – Francois Fornieri, Mithra Pharmaceuticals
  • 2014 – Thorsten Umland, Bayer HealthCare
  • 2013 – Joint Winners – Joanne Kelley, AstraZeneca & Barbara Krebs-Pohl, MorphoSys
  • 2012 – Catherine Pickering, Merck Serono
  • 2011 – Daniel Thomas, Alliance
  • 2010 – Sean McKercher, Ipsen
  • 2009 – Martin Buckland, Astex Therapeutics
  • 2008 – Keith Martin, Apitope
  • 2007 – Eva-Lotta Allen, Ablynx