Mogrify Ltd (Mogrify), a UK company aiming to transform the development of cell therapies, received MSD’s Innovation Award at the 15th Annual Scrip Awards, and the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Jane Osbourn, OBE, Chair at Mogrify.

The Innovation Award recognizes the significant potential the Company’s direct cellular conversion technology has to disrupt the future development of new medicines. Dr. Osbourn received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the biotech industry throughout her career.

Mogrify has developed a proprietary direct cellular conversion technology, which makes it possible to transform any human cell type into any other, without going through a pluripotent stem cell- or progenitor cell-state. The Company is using this platform to produce cell types with unrivaled safety, efficacy and scalable manufacturing profiles that can be used to develop novel cell therapies addressing musculoskeletal, auto-immune, cancer immunotherapy, ocular and respiratory diseases.

Dr. Osbourn is a scientific leader in the field of antibody engineering with more than 30 years of experience in biologics discovery and development. During this time she has been Vice President for Research and Development and Site Leader at MedImmune (AstraZeneca), formerly Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT), Chair of the Board of Directors of the BioIndustry Association, a Director of Babraham Bioscience Technologies, and a Director of Cambridge Enterprise. She has made significant contributions to the discovery and development of phage display technology, eight marketed drugs (including HUMIRA® and BENLYSTA®) and over 40 clinical candidates. Dr. Osbourn holds a doctorate from the John Innes Institute in Norwich, UK and a first-class degree in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge, and was awarded an OBE for services to drug discovery, development and biotechnology.

The Scrip Awards seek to applaud the role that the pharmaceutical, biotech and other allied industries play in improving healthcare. Its trophies span a range of industry activities, from new drug launches and clinical trials, to innovative deals, outsourcing and fundraising. This year’s new category, MSD’s Innovation Award, acknowledges and celebrates the outstanding scientific or technological breakthroughs that have the potential to be transformative in the discovery or development of new medicines. Scrip’s Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to individuals who have had a distinguished career in the biotech or pharmaceutical arena, primarily within industry with a consistent history of exceptional service, throughout their career.

Dr. Darrin M. Disley, OBE, CEO, Mogrify, said: “Our systematic approach to the discovery of novel cell conversions has the potential to transform cell therapy. Mogrify’s technology opens up the opportunity to develop and scale up any autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, as well as create a new class of therapies: in vivo reprograming and could therefore have a significant impact on the treatment of degenerative conditions and cancers. We are proud to have our innovative platform and pioneering approach recognized by the judges.

Dr. Osbourn has contributed significantly to the industry throughout her impressive career and is globally renowned for her expertise in biologics discovery and development. She is an inspirational leader and we look forward to celebrating her exceptional achievements.”

Dr. Jane Osbourn, OBE, Chair, Mogrify, said: “I am honored to have received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to have worked with many pioneering scientists, who have helped us achieve success in biologics discovery and development. Working together in a diverse team is vital if we are to build great culture and drive innovation. I would like to thank all the extraordinary people who have supported me and I hope to continue to foster many more successful collaborations.”

Prof. Jose Polo, CMO (Co-founder) and Prof. Julian Gough, CSO (Co-founder) were presented with the Innovation Award at the prestigious ceremony, which took place in at the London Hilton on Park Lane in Mayfair on 4 December.

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About Mogrify

Mogrify has developed a proprietary direct cellular conversion technology, which makes it possible to transform (transmogrify) any mature human cell type into any other without going through a pluripotent stem cell- or progenitor cell-state.

The platform takes a systematic big-data approach to identify, from next-generation sequencing and gene-regulatory networks, the transcription factors (in vitro) or small molecules (in vivo), needed to convert a cell. By bypassing the stem cell-stage of cell transformation, Mogrify simultaneously addresses challenges associated with efficacy, safety and scalability.

Mogrify is deploying this platform to develop novel cell therapies addressing musculoskeletal, auto-immune, cancer immunotherapy, ocular and respiratory diseases as well as generating a broad IP position relating to cell conversions that exhibit safety, efficacy and scalable manufacturing profiles suitable for development as cell therapies.

Uniquely positioned to address a cell therapy market estimated to be $35 billion USD by 2023, Mogrify is commercializing its technology via IP licensing, product development, and drug development. Based in Cambridge, UK, the Company has raised over $20 million USD funding from Ahren Innovation Capital, Parkwalk, 24Haymarket, Dr. Darrin M. Disley, OBE and the University of Bristol Enterprise Fund III.