Today, Nature has announced that ResQ Biotech has been selected as a “one to watch” firm highlighted for The Spinoff Prize 2020, which is organized by Nature Research and Merck KGaA [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01904-6].
For this inaugural Spinoff Prize Award, “Nature sought out the most exciting science-based companies to have emerged from academic labs in the past three years” in four sectors: Pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology; Agriculture and food technology; Chemicals and advanced materials; Digital technologies.
ResQ Biotech is recognized for applying synthetic biology methods to increase the effectiveness of early-stage drug discovery for diseases caused by protein misfolding and aggregation, such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), systemic amyloidosis and cancer.
As part of this competition, nominees were evaluated on the basis of the quality and originality of the underpinning science, the demonstration of a market opportunity, the significance of the problem that the company hopes its product will address, a clearly articulated business plan, and the quality of the technical and business leadership teams. According to the press release “With the help of a distinguished panel of judges, we selected 44 science-based university spin-offs that we decided held the most promise of significant impact”.
