Protemix founder named NZ's 'biotechnologist of the year'
Tuesday, 15 March, 2005
Prof Garth Cooper, the president and chief scientist of Auckland-based Protemix, has been named NZBio's 'distinguished biotechnologist of the year' at the New Zealand biotech organisation's conference.
Cooper founded Protemix in 1999, when he had returned to Auckland after a spectacular career in the UK and US. While a Nuffield fellow at Oxford, he discovered the hormone amylin, and developed it into a new therapy for diabetes mellitus. He patented his discoveries and in 1987 founded biopharma company Amylin, which later listed on Nasdaq. Amylin's market capitalisation is now around US$2 billion.
He has stated that his aim in founding Protemix was to create New Zealand's first billion-dollar biotech company.
Accepting his award yesterday evening, Cooper issued a plea to funding bodies not to write off innovative science as mere "fishing expeditions", and put innovation at risk.
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