London, United Kingdom, DNA Electronics Ltd, a developer of disposable, real-time gene testing at
the point-of-care, has been named as the winner of the prestigious R&D
prize at the Elektra09 European Electronics Industry Awards. DNA
Electronics, a spin-out of Imperial College London, triumphed from a
shortlist of five other finalists to be named winner by an independent
panel of judges in recognition of its innovative technology and
intellectual property strategy. The Elektra09 award ceremony was held
on Tuesday 1st December 2009 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
DNA Electronics’ SNP Dr (pronounced ‘snip doctor’) is a
breakthrough silicon chip-based handheld device that offers fast and
accurate spot test results for specific DNA sequences that indicate
how patients are likely to respond to prescription drugs. The device
is now being trialed in partnership with global pharmaceutical company
Pfizer. Each year, the NHS spends £460 million to treat 250,000
patients admitted to hospital suffering adverse reactions to
prescribed medication. A test to identify people likely to react badly
to prescribed medication will enable doctors to tailor dosages to the
individual needs of patients, bringing greatly improved treatment and
massive potential cost savings to healthcare providers.
DNA Electronics was co-founded by the inventor of the foundation
technology, Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, who is CEO of the company
and director and chief scientist at the Institute of Biomedical
Engineering at Imperial College London. The core technology is based
upon switching transistors on and off with DNA, which has culminated
in the world’s first DNA logic on standard CMOS technology.
The annual Elektra Awards recognise the achievements of individuals
and companies across the European electronics industry. The judging
panel said of DNA Electronics’ submission: “This was the strongest
set of finalists the Elektras has ever seen for the R&D Award. The
winner impressed for quality of its basic research in an emerging area
of electronics design.”
Commenting on the award win, Professor Toumazou added: “We are
absolutely delighted to have won an Elektra award in recognition of
this ground-breaking and important innovation. The cost-effective and
convenient testing enabled by the SNP Dr device will allow doctors to
assess patients in the GP surgery and prescribe optimal dosages and
treatments on-the-spot – without a lengthy and costly laboratory
analysis. This award reflects the exceptional talent of the team at
DNA Electronics who are now bringing this technology to commercial
fruition.”
Please visit the Elektra Awards website for full details of award
winners: http://www.elektraawards.co.uk/
