MediWales Review - Winter 2009

M E D I W A L E S M A G A Z I N E S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

F E A T U R I N G B I O W A L E S A N D A R A B H E A L T H

BIOWALESThe ever-growing

Welsh bioscience event

ARAB HEALTHCompanyDirectory

SHOWCASING:Ultrasound

Technologies Ltd,Sterilin Ltd,

The Magstim Company Ltd

REWARDINGSUCCESS

2008 MediWalesInnovation

Award winners

3 into 1 does go

5 Schooner Way, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff CF10 4DZT/F: +44 29 2047 3456Email: [email protected]

[email protected]@[email protected]

Web: www.mediwales.com

Chairman: Mr Greg Baily, Huntleigh

International Business WalesWelsh Assembly Government Department for theEconomy and TransportTrafalgar House5 Fitzalan PlaceCardiff, Wales CF24 0EDTel: +44 29 2082 8786Web: www.ibwales.comAndrew Jones – Mission LeaderAndrew is in charge of all international trade activity inthe Middle East and Africa Region and has overallresponsibility for delivering IBW’s events in the region.Andrew will be available at the IBW stand for theduration of the show. Mobile: +44 7866 469847Email: [email protected]

The Spring Edition of the MediWales Reviewfocuses on three very different events, eachpromoting the products and expertise in thebioscience sectors in Wales. These eventsare BioWales; The Arab Health Exhibition;and our own MediWales Innovation Awards.

BioWales 18-19 March 2009 – The Vale Hotel, The Vale of GlamorganBioWales is one of the UK’s largest BioscienceConferences and BioPartnering events held outsideof London. This year it is held at The Vale Hotel,where the Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan AM will be openingthe conference. Last year over 450 delegatesattended the two-day conference, which had over 40exhibitors. The event attracts bioscience industryprofessionals and academics aiming to create newconnections and seeking licensing and businessdevelopment opportunities.

Arab Health 26-29 January 2009 - DubaiInternational Convention and Exhibition Centre,UAE. The Welsh Pavilion: Hall 7 Stand C35.The Arab Health exhibition is the premierhealthcare event for the Middle East. This eventplays host to healthcare manufacturers,wholesalers and distributors: it provides theseprofessionals with an arena in which to meet withsome of the most important decision makers in theArab world. With rapid year-on-year growth, ArabHealth now has over 2,500 exhibitors from 65countries including over 100 stands from UKcompanies. The show will attract 50,000 visitorsover the four-day event.

The Welsh Pavilion Several companies this year will be exhibiting fromWales, each taking a space in the purpose builtpavilion. Companies include: Magstim; UltrasoundTechnologies; GX Design; CCI Legal; MangarInternational; Sterilin; and UK HealthGateway.

International Business Wales (IBW) is theorganiser of the Welsh pavilion at Arab Health. IBWis the international trade and investment arm ofthe Welsh Assembly Government. They act as thedriving force in establishing alliances betweencompanies in Wales and their counterpartsoverseas. IBW also actively encourages inwardinvestment from overseas companies looking toEurope and the UK as a preferred internationalbusiness location.

The Arab Health section of this Review has beenproduced in collaboration with IBW: it includes adirectory of companies visiting and exhibiting at theexhibition, with more detailed case studies on aselection of attending companies.

Lastly, The MediWales Annual Innovation Awardshave become a landmark event in the Welsh sector.The third annual Awards ceremony was held lastyear on the 4th November, hosted at Cardiff’sHilton Hotel. This event was attended by 110guests, and saw six established companiesawarded for their successes and breakthroughs inthe areas of innovation; export achievement; start-up; outstanding growth; partnership with theNHS/Academia; and Judges’ Choice.

The Welsh medical technology advantage

Wales is one of four nations that make up theUnited Kingdom. Wales has a long anddistinguished history of industrial innovation andachievement. There are around 172 companiesoperating in the Welsh bioscience sector includinghealth technologies, a sector that has shown agrowth of over 17% in the last year. The combinedturnover of these companies is approximately£1.3bn, with the sector employing around 15,000people. The capital, Cardiff – a growinginternational city - has a strong business base andworld-renowned sporting and cultural venues.

The last year has seen enhanced businesssupport, such as Academic Expertise for Business(A4B). This six year project, funded by the WelshAssembly Government and European StructuralFunds, invests £70million in Welsh higher andfurther education institutions. The project hopes todevelop more effective knowledge transfermechanisms to commercialise their intellectualproperty, develop new products and processes,increase business investment in R&D, and developand exploit the research base.

MediWales is the industry-owned forum,established to service the life scienceorganisations in Wales. Over the last six yearsMediWales has become the sector representativeand central point of contact, influencing Welsh andUK sector development strategies and providingactive routes for member companies to accessclinical and academic expertise. Part ofMediWales’s role is to act as a signposting andbusiness support service for its members, but it issimilarly happy to assist international contacts insourcing commercial and collaborative researchand development partners in Wales.

M E M B E R

MediWales is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government

Lee Jennings - Vice President (Middle East)The International Business Wales office in Dubai isresponsible for trade and investment developmentthroughout the Middle East and North Africa. Theoffice has been in existence since March 2004 and ismanaged by Lee Jennings, who has over 25 yearsexperience of trade and business developmentcovering China, South East Asia, Southern Asia andmore recently, 8 years in the Middle East. Leemanages a network of business experts throughoutthe Arabian Gulf and is able to assist Welshcompanies with research, information and a widerange of contacts and advice.Mobile: +971 50 559 3668Email: [email protected]

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The Innovation Award was won by C&GMedicare Ltd, for its revolutionaryIncostress device designed to controlurinary stress incontinence.

This distressing condition affects morethan four million women in the UK andaround a fifth of women worldwide. Itsimpact on quality of life is both long-term and profound, and this is where the

Incostress comes into its own. Unlike thestandard option of protective pads, thisdevice is worn internally like a tampon:but rather than being absorbent, it worksby supporting the bladder and exertinggentle pressure on the urethra to controlthe ‘mechanics’ of incontinence.

Incostress is the brainchild of GaynorMorgan, C&G’s founder, and developedfrom her mother’s own experience ofstress incontinence and their shareddetermination to find a functionalsolution. Both had long-term experienceas nurses, and their expertise inphysiology, psychology and anatomyenabled them to draw up an initialdesign and then develop a home-madeprototype.

It proved to be strikingly effective: somuch so that Simon Emery, chiefurogynaecologist at Swansea’s SingletonHospital, became interested in taking itthrough clinical testing. But this wasonly going to be possible if the prototype became a fully developed CE-markeddevice – which was the spur for Gaynorto embark on setting up C&G as itsmanufacturer.

‘So I started writing the patent andcollating the CE mark technical file,’ saidGaynor, ‘but I knew I had a lot of learningto do.’ She initially contactedInternational Business Wales (IBW), oneof three Welsh Assembly Government

advisory groups who were to help her ateach stage of developing her business.‘They’re all interlinked,’ said Gaynor, ‘soIBW put me in touch with WIN, theWales Innovators Network. And WINreally took me by the hand withtrademarking, patents and CE marking.

‘Then when it came to manufacturingand prototyping, WIN advised me to goto the Specialist Support Group, whohelped me right through to the pointwhere I had a product that could betrialled.’ The Group also advised on themarketing of the Incostress – backed indue course by clinical data fromSingleton’s successful trial. ‘BecauseI’d had interest from abroad,’ saidGaynor, ‘Specialist Support suggested Italk to IBW. So I finally came full circle!’

IBW helped Gaynor to land her firstoverseas contract with a Spanishdistributor: C&G now has distributionagreements in seven Europeancountries, and sells directly to a furtherthree. Earlier this year, with the help ofthe Boots Centre for Innovation,Incostress was successfully launched onthe Boots website. Meanwhile thecompany is already working to expandits product portfolio: Incosilk – adermatological cream – is alreadyavailable, and C&G is now working withtheir collaborators to explore the testingof additional clinical benefits offered bythe Incostress device.

Working in fields from drugs to devices, diagnostics to chronic diseasemanagement, the winners of 2008’s MediWales Innovation Awards cut anilluminating slice through the versatile Welsh health technology sector.

A W A R D S

DINNER SPONSORS OF MEDIWALES INNOVATION AWARDS 2008

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Clinical trials supply company BiotecServices International, winners of theExport Achievement Award, increasedtheir export sales by 68% in the lastfinancial year.

Biotec specialise in EU importation, andthe labelling and distribution ofmaterials for temperature-controlledclinical trials. Their latest expansionfocused on increasing their existingpresence in two countries specifically:the US and Israel. ‘Because ours is aspecialised market,’ said ManagingDirector Marc Weinzweig, ‘we targetedparticular groups of specialist people.And that played to our strengths.’

One of the most important of these isthe company’s skill in building aparticular kind of relationship withclients. ‘These are developmentalgroups,’ said Marc, ‘research-typepeople, involved with drug developmentand sometimes manufacture. And themajority of them, irrespective of whetherthey’re working for a virtual company ora global corporation, work in smallunits.

‘When we analysed how we get ourcontracts with these very largecompanies, we realised that our skill inworking with people with this particularprofile is very important. We can workout what they need and support them ina way that they like. We know theirproblems because of our experience inclinical trials handling - I’ve beenworking with biologicals and in-vitrodiagnostics since the early 80s. So it’sall about relationship-building.’

With funding help from the WelshAssembly Government, Biotec developeda12-month marketing programmefocused on a high-profile presence atkey industry conferences and visits tospecialist groups in their targetedcountries. IBW helped to source UScompanies with an appropriate profile,and the growth in that marketdemonstrates a ‘knock-on’ effect nowfamiliar to Biotec: ‘Our clients are ourbest salespeople,’ said Marc, ‘becausethey introduce us to new clients – eitherthrough their normal business links, orwhen they move to a new company and

want to maintain the relationship. Whichis what’s happening in the US now.’

The same relationship dynamic has beeninstrumental in developing the Israelimarket. In a country with a high IP valuein terms of science and technology,Israel’s medical and biotech sector is aparticularly close-knit weave ofcommercial and academic connections.‘So if like us you’re good at relationshipmanagement,’ said Marc, ‘then it’s a veryproductive environment. As in the US,our new clients there are now bringingus more new customers.’

A new purpose-built facility will beservicing Biotec’s growth. Designed withinput from all personnel for optimumflow of both people and product, the unitwas planned in two phases and the firstin now complete, increasing floor spacefrom 3,500sq ft to 13000 sq ft – but thecompany has already virtually filled theallowance for expansion built into that.‘We’re already into plans for the phasetwo building,’ said Marc, ’and we’relooking to make a decision to go aheadwith that in the middle of next year.’

Winner of the Start-up Award was spin-out company Oncomorph Analysis, witha ground-breaking technology to assistdiagnostic medical imaging.

Based at Aberystwyth University, thecompany originated with the technology’sinventor, Dr Reyer Zwiggelaar, aspecialist in the computer-assistedvisualisation and interpretation of

Innovation Award

WINNER:C&G Medicare LtdT: +44 (0)845 2000761www.incostress.com

PRIZE SPONSOR:Catalyst Venture PartnersT: +44 (0)1225 331498www.catvp.com

Export AchievementAward

WINNER:Biotec Services InternationalT: +44 (0)1656 750550www.biotec-uk.com

PRIZE SPONSOR:UDLT: +44 (0)29 20642150www.udl.co.uk


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medical imaging analysis. Theinaugural Oncomorph product is asoftware tool designed to assistradiologists in the diagnosis and stagingof prostate cancer. Every year, some650,000 men worldwide are diagnosedwith this disease: it remains the mostcommon male cancer in the UK and thesecond most common in the USA(following lung cancer). In the lastdecade, cases have more than doubledglobally: although this is a diseasepredominantly affecting men over 65,the increase far outstrips the rate ofageing within the world population.Early and accurate diagnosis isparamount in reducing deaths frommetastasis of the cancer.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) datais one of the most widely usedtechniques available to radiologists indiagnosing prostate cancer. ‘TheOncomorph technology would automatethe interpretation of this data,’ explainedDr Rhian Hayward, consultant to thecompany. ‘So it will both identifytumours and – which is critical - definetheir boundaries.’ Automation by‘mining’ data in this way offers improveddiagnostic accuracy for MRI, with all therelated benefits in reduced time andcost for the service provider, and betterexperience for the patient.

The marketed product is likely to be inthe form of a ready-installed function ona free-standing PC that will becompatible with all MRI machines. Thetechnology has potential for several

clinical applications, including BenignProstatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostategland that obstructs urine flow. Thedisease has a high prevalence thatincreases with age: in the USA alone,over 300,000 surgical procedures areperformed each year for BPH (mostlytransurethral resection of the prostate –now the second most common surgicalprocedure after cataract surgery.)

‘We’re claiming a broad range ofapplications in our first patent,’ saidRhian, ‘and prostate cancer is just thefirst we’re going to address. Our visionis to create a pipeline of medical imageanalysis IP, and then take that IPportfolio to the major MRImanufacturers with a view to licensingthe technology.’ Development has beenimplemented from the outset within arigorous quality system designed forFDA approval.

Input and feedback from radiologists hasbeen an integral part of the developmentprocess, and Oncomorph is now puttingtogether formal agreements with clinicalcollaborators who will test andtroubleshoot the product design. Thecompany’s development plan includesset junctures for clinical evaluation,when these radiologists will share data,use the system and feed back theirfindings. This development schedule isplotted through to mid-2010, whenOncomorph aim to have their technologydeveloped as a fully functional platform.

The Outstanding Growth Award waswon by Penn Pharmaceuticals, whoincreased their turnover in the lastfinancial year by over a third.

Penn provides drug development andmanufacturing services in the UK andinternationally. Its rapid growth wasplanned as a key element in the strategydeveloped after a successfulmanagement buyout in April 2007. ‘Wewere already a good company,’ saidCommercial Director John Roberts, ‘butwe wanted to build from that into aworld-leading company.’

Penn offers pharmaceutical andbiotechnology companies a fast,integrated route for moving theirproducts from early human clinicaltrials through to market. Theircustomers range from virtualpharmaceutical companies – who ownIP but have no operational capabilities –through small and medium pharma andcontract research organisations (CRO’s)to the top 50 pharmaceutical companies.Even for the latter the benefit of fastertime to market is key: increasingly, thecurrent trend across the board is tooutsource.

For Penn’s growth strategy, theexpansion of its existing European, USand Japanese markets were ofparticular importance. The companyhas a dedicated agent now working fromits Tokyo office, working both tomaintain existing client contacts and todevelop new ones, and has doubled the

A W A R D S

Start-Up Award

WINNER:Oncomorph Analysis LtdT: +44 1970 832340www.oncomorph.com

PRIZE SPONSOR:PDRT: +44 (0)29 20416725www.pdronline.co.uk

Outstanding Growth Award

WINNER:Penn Pharmaceutical Services LtdT: +44 (0)1495 711222www.pennpharm.co.uk

PRIZE SPONSOR:Abel & ImrayT: +44 (0)29 20347030www.patentable.co.uk

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size of its UK-based European salesteam. ‘But with the US,’ said John, ‘it’s amajor growth engine for pharma R&D.You can’t effectively access a market ofthis size without the right people on theground, so we decided to establish a USsubsidiary.’ Under its Philadelphia-based Business Development Director,Penn recruited a group of high-calibrelocalised staff targeting respectively theEast coast, the Midwest cluster, and theWest coast: an investment that hasalready proven its worth. In addition, the company has developed

its existing portfolio. It now has thecapability to manufacture ‘HighPotency’ drugs, an area of rapidgrowth in the pharmaceutical market.These are molecules or drugs that arebiologically active at 1mg or less,demanding Closed ManufacturingSystems that minimise exposure ofthe operator. At the same time thecompany is extending the range of itsown products, which it supplies forspecialist clinical needs.Partnerships have also fostered theexpansion, most notably with

Newcastle-based SCM Pharma to addsterile manufacturing to Penn’sintegrated service.

The company has seen the number ofits employees grow by over a quartersince just before the buyout, and Pennhas made staff development a priority.‘Improving project management is keyas you grow a company,’ said John, ‘andwe have made a major investment instaff training that goes right through theorganisation.’ Alongside the staffnumbers, Penn has increased capacitywith a new 75,000 sq ft storage anddistribution facility, serving the fast-growing clinical trials supply businessthat operates worldwide. With itsoriginal growth strategy aiming todouble the company’s size within threeyears, Penn is well on track to make oreven exceed that target.

Partnership with theNHS/Academia Award

WINNER:Home Telehealth Limited (HTL)T: +44 (0)29 20444795www.hometelehealthltd.co.uk

PRIZE SPONSOR:GX Design EngineersT: +44 (0)1291 673437www.gxl.co.uk


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Home Telehealth Ltd (HTL) won thePartnership With NHS Award with atelehealth service for NorthernIreland’s South East Trust (SET) thatwas the first of its kind.

Given the unavoidable demographics ofan ageing population, telehealth isbecoming a priority for health and socialservices in developed countriesworldwide. It represents a practicalmeans of implementing long-term,community-based care that benefitsboth patient and provider: patients areenabled to stay at home – where surveysrepeatedly show they would prefer to be– and remain independent for longer;and services are transferred from cost-intensive secondary care into primaryand community spheres.

During over ten years’ experience in thebusiness of helping service providers tomake that transfer, HTL has developed amodel for an integrated service that istailored to the needs of the provider.‘Knowledge of telehealth out there isoften minimal,’ said Director DavidMuxworthy. ‘You need to consider all thedifferent elements: the targeted patients,the desired outcomes, the liaison withclinical staff, the appropriatetechnology.’ HTL can then either identifybest-of-breed technology or work withthe client’s own, and provide therequisite level of project managementand technical support so that the rightinformation is routed directly to clinicalstaff.

HTL provides this service model forTrusts in England, Wales and Scotland,but the SET project is a rather differentbeast: rather than an integrated service,it is the very first full managed servicethat HTL has delivered. It implements adisease management programme for arolling total of 22 high-risk patients withChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD) for 12 weeks after theirdischarge from hospital, with the aim ofstabilising their condition and reducingre-admission. But rather than themonitoring information going straight tothe Trust’s clinical staff, it is routed via adedicated, nurse-led clinical call centre– the first of its kind in the country.

SET wanted a service that would free uptheir own clinical staff from routine datareview. ‘So it’s our nurses at the centrewho do the monitoring,’ David explained.‘They call the patients at stipulatedintervals for the information they needabout their condition. And patients havethe equipment – such as a bloodpressure monitor for example – to supplyall the necessary data and pass that onover the phone. The monitoring is doneto agreed protocols, and if a patient’scondition begins to deteriorate, it’s thenthat they will be referred to the Trust’sown clinical staff.’

As well as this comprehensive first-lineclinical triaging, HTL also provide thetelemonitoring equipment, which theyinstall, clean, maintain and de-commission: after the 12-week period isup and the patient is stabilised, thetechnology is moved onto another newlydischarged patient. Equally importantly,HTL train these patients in the use oftheir equipment, ensuring they arecomfortable and confident with it.‘These patients have multiple co-morbidities,’ said David, ‘and they’reback at home often feeling isolated andanxious. So this system gives them thetools to understand their condition, andkeeps them supported.’

The service has been a resoundingsuccess, reducing hospital admissions,bed days and length of stay, as well asGP visits; while at the same time,patients felt their quality of life wasimproved. Belfast Trust have sincebecome another client: between the twoTrusts HTL is now monitoring around400 patients for COPD, coronary heartdisease or diabetes. The company isshortly to tender for a full managedservice covering all five Trusts inNorthern Ireland, for a total of 5000patients. Its impact on costs, care andquality of life make the full managedservice a service model that will play akey part in HTL’s future UK developmentstrategy.

A W A R D S

Zarlink Semiconductor were presented withthe Judges’ Choice Award. They havedeveloped key technologies enablingmedical device companies to deliversmaller wireless portable therapy andmonitoring devices.

Zarlink enables medical telemetryapplications by supplying the top fourpacemaker companies in the world with keytechnologies. These technologies range fromlow-power processors to ultra-low powerradios. The latest technology development isa linear micro-generator that derives energyfrom the beating heart to either power apacemaker or to extend the life of the device.

Pacemakers are becoming more complex intheir functioning, placing an increaseddemand on power consumption. The micro-generator overcomes this issue, providingextended battery life and greener energy forfuture generations of devices. The increasedbattery life will lead to fewer procedures toreplace the device, which reduces patient riskin surgery and cost to the healthcare provider.

ZarlinkT: +44 (0)1291 435300www.zarlink.com

PRIZE SPONSOR:Teamworks Technology ServicesT: +44 (0)1443 866311www.teamworkict.com

Mr Martin McHugh, Zarlink Business and Product Development Manager

P R I Z E S P O N S O R S

D I N N E R S P O N S O R S

J U D G I N G S P O N S O R S

M E D I W A L E S R E V I E W 2 0 0 9 B I O W A L E S

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Bioscience is now a key player inknowledge-based economiesworldwide: in Wales alone, theindustry is worth £1.3billion andemploys some 15,000 people. Now inits seventh year, BioWales has becomea landmark biosciences event,attracting delegates from throughoutthe UK and Europe.

The complexities – scientific,technological, regulatory – of this globalindustry are such that no one companyor group can meet all its own needsand stay ahead of the game: the natureof bioscience demands that peopleconnect, collaborate and contract withone another. The fact that BioWales isdesigned with precisely these prioritiesin mind is a major factor in itspopularity.

BioWales continues to growThe bio-partnering event is specificallydesigned to organise meetings betweenprospective collaborators in the UK andEurope. This brokerage activity iscentral to the BioWales mix, running notonly throughout the conference butbefore and after it: last year it involvedno fewer than 225 one-to-one meetings.Project-managing this daunting feat oflogistics is Dr Sharon Thomas, theWelsh Assembly Government’sHealthcare and Life Science Specialistat the Department of Economy andTransport, who described for the Reviewthe system that enables ‘matchmaking’on this scale to work.

‘It all starts with an initial call forinterested parties,’ said Sharon, ‘andthat operates through onlineregistration for the conference.’ Thoseseeking brokerage meetings are then

expertise. The profiles can come fromcompanies, academia, NHSprofessionals or individual consultants,but they are about specific expertcapability, not about selling orrecruitment – which is why validation isimportant.’

Some 300 validated profiles areassembled into an online catalogue,which goes ‘live’ a month beforeBioWales. Once registered for the bio-partnering event, website users needonly tick the profiles of interest torequest a one-to-one meeting. Up to 20different meetings can be arranged foreach registrant, and browsers who arenot registered but spot an interestingprofile can arrange a meeting simply byregistering then and there.

A deadline is set for all selections – andthat date marks what is for Sharon themost arduous part of the process. ‘I canhave up to 500 requests for one-to-onemeetings,’ she said. ‘Each one has tobe planned in terms of who, when andwhere, and slotted in at half-hourintervals over two days. So you’re co-ordinating a very large number ofvariables!’ Meetings take place in adedicated brokerage room at theBioWales venue, set up with 25 tables.Every table is plotted with its half-hourmeetings, and every participant is sentan individual meeting schedule.

‘On the day,’ said Sharon, ‘we have abrokerage desk that’s our receptionarea, and participants simply come tothe desk at their alloted time. We cango through any queries if people needhelp, and occasionally we have to chaseup latecomers, but it’s normallystraightforward. We take both parties totheir table and introduce them, and thenwe leave them to it until their half-houris up’ There’s also space built into thesystem to allow for unplannedmeetings: a printed catalogue isdistributed at the conference, andpeople who belatedly spot anopportunity can still arrange a meetingthat same day through the brokeragestaff.

The proof of the bio-partnering puddinglies of course in what happens furtherdown the line, and the results areimpressive to anyone familiar with thereality of the innovation ‘hit rate’.

BioWales is fully supported by theWelsh Assembly Government, whocontracted MediWales to deliver theconference programme. Working aspart of this team, Dr Bob Wallis seesthe BioWales mix of conference, tradefair and bio-partnering event as amodel that combines people, activitiesand ideas in a way that never fails togenerate the right connections. ‘Whenpeople come to BioWales,’ he said, ‘theynot only meet in the right environment,but they do so year after year. Thatcontinuity builds trust – and inter-company trust is the essentialfoundation you need for collaborationsthat produce results.’

linked to bio-partnering registrationthrough the EU Enterprise EuropeNetwork (EEN). Taking over the role ofthe former Innovation Relay CentreNetwork, the EEN facilitates technologytransfer throughout the UK and Europe,bringing together those seeking oroffering technology opportunities aswell as supporting access to European-wide research funding frameworks.

Bio-partnering registrants then submittechnology profiles, which are vettedand validated for the event catalogue.‘Brokerage meetings are to discussfinding or offering either a product orprocess,’ Sharon explained, ‘or aparticular area of know-how and

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relevant person,’ saidSharon, ‘and we will also pay50% of their costs for flightsand accommodation to goand visit the client to discussthe technology – whetherthat’s a request or an offer.We can help as much or aslittle as needed: for some ofour smaller companies, wecan ‘hand-hold’ throughoutthe process if that’s whatthey ask. But essentially, allwe require is that the clientkeeps us informed.’

BioWales is therefore one of the morevisible indicators of work that isconsistent and ongoing. Like the Welshsector itself, the event has grownsubstantially since its inception: lastyear it attracted some 450 delegatesand more than 40 exhibitors.Consequently this year’s new venue atthe Vale Hotel is catering for increasednumbers: ‘We’re firmly established onthe biotechnology and sciencecalendars now,’ said Sharon, ‘and we’reexpecting both more delegates, andmore people looking for the technologypartnerships that we broker at theevent.’

This year’s conference is themedaround diagnostics, medical devicesand contract research, reflecting theprofile of the Welsh expert base.Speakers from both academia andindustry will be describing some of thenewest and most advanceddevelopments in these areas, helpingdelegates to plot significant emergingfeatures in the future biosciencelandscape.

The BioWales bio-partnering eventbegins first thing on Wednesday 18thMarch at the Vale Hotel. After a buffetlunch from 11.30-12.30, the conferencethen opens with an address by RhodriMorgan AM, First Minister for Wales,and closes at 2.00pm on Thursday 19thMarch: the bio-partnering eventcontinues until the end of that sameday. For readers who want to attend, orneed further details about speakers,topics, timings and brokerage, theBioWales website will give you the latestupdates and take you throughregistration.

www.biowalesevent.com/index

Sharon’s department sends outfeedback forms to participants atintervals of three months, eight monthsand a year. In this most diffuse andchallenging field, results are producedprecisely because of the chances thatare free to be taken – and they come tofruition over the long term. Statisticsare being collated for the 2008 event;but in 2007 the event has so far (andresults are still being reported) hasproduced 17 confirmed technologytransfer agreements, as well assuccessful collaborations for DTIprogrammes and EU frameworkprojects.

The commitment to feedback helps tomake BioWales something of a markerfor the progress and expansion ofbioscience in Wales. Sharon’s long-term involvement in the sector meansthat she has been able to track thisrapid evolution: indeed she wasresponsible, along with her colleague JoDaniels at the then Welsh DevelopmentAgency, for initiating the very firstBioWales conference in 2002. Focusingmainly on bringing together people fromacademia and industry in Welshbioscience, that ‘pilot’ was put togetheron a shoestring, but earned such anenthusiastic response that it becamefully funded and organised as an annualevent.

The information from BioWalesbrokerage feeds into the year-roundEEN technology transfer activities thatSharon’s department facilitates. ‘All ofus in this EU Network do audits of theclients in our regions,’ she expained,‘and from these we put togethertechnology profiles that are sharedthrough an online bulletin boardsystem. So we have a database ofthese technology offers and requests,organised on a sector basis. Whenpeople come to us needing this kind ofinformation, I can search the biotechand medtech sector data to findappropriate potential partners.’

Interested parties in Wales who want totake the process to the next step areasked to sign a confidentialityagreement, and their contact with thepotential partner is fully supported: ‘Wewill put them in direct contact with the

Dr. Sharon ThomasHealth and Life Science Specialist,Technology and Innovation,Welsh Assembly Government

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Andrew JonesRegional Manager, Middle East and AfricaWeb site: www.walestrade.comDescription: HALL 7, Stand C35

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International Business Wales

CCI Legal Services

A R A B H E A L T H - W A L E S P A V I L I O N D I R E C T O R Y

IBWTrafalgar HouseFitzalan PlaceCardiffWalesUKCF24 0EDTel: +44(0)2920 828 786Fax: +44 (0)2920 442 696Email:[email protected]: www.ibwales.com

International Business Wales is the Welsh Assembly Government’sinternational trade and investment arm. It forms part of theDepartment for the Economy and Transport and acts as the drivingforce in establishing alliances between companies in Wales andtheir counterparts overseas, whilst actively seeking out inwardinvestment opportunities for client companies looking to Europeand the UK as a preferred international business location.

Andrew heads up all of International Business Wales’ trade activityin Middle East and Africa. This primarily involves managing andleading key overseas trade fairs and missions to the Region.Andrew also manages one of International Business Wales’ keyprogrammes, which is designed to provide dedicated businesssupport to companies looking to do business in the region.

Andrew will be on hand to assist the attending companies duringthe duration of the Big 5 exhibition.

CCI Legal Services LtdThe CCI CentreSnowdonia Business ParkPorthmadogLL48 6LDTel: 01766 771907Fax: 01766 771840Email: [email protected]: www.ccilegal.co.uk

CCI Legal is one of the UK’s leading debt collection agencies. Wespecialise in domestic and international collections and have beendoing so for over 20 years. We are the largest collector ofhealthcare debt in Europe however our systems are designed tomaximise debt collection ratios in whatever sector you operate.

CCI now has partner offices in over 80 countries, which betweenthem employ over 3,000 people. We therefore have fluency in thelanguage, legal systems of the debtors, as well as the geographicalproximity necessary trace, collect and litigate all over the world.Our Litigation team expertly handles cases from issue through toenforcement. We handle commercial and consumer claims of everysize and level of complexity all over the world.The MissionWe are seeking to build relationships with banks and hospitals inthe Middle East as well as strengthen relationships with existingclients.

GX Design Engineers

GX Design Engineers The MayfieldUskMonmouthshireNP15 1SYTel: 01291 673437Fax: 01291 673438Email: [email protected]: www.gxl.co.uk

GX is a leading independent design consultancy. We have a proventrack record in the high quality design, development andmanufacture of instruments, machines and products for the medicalsector.

Recent clients include: Bayer Diagnostics, Gyrus Medical, Rhytec,CLP, Pall, Medical Support Systems, Morecare and British Gas.GX’s committed and experienced workforce combine technicalexcellence and design innovation to meet clients’ needs. Key areasof expertise, all available in-house, include industrial design;mechanical engineering; electronic design; rapid prototyping;optronics design; software design; and CAD animations

GX Systems also provides high-quality integrated automation andcontrol systems. We have the skills to provide a complete turnkeysolution including hardware, control and project management tobring your project in on time. Recent clients include British Airways,Celsa UK, BAAE, Serco, Falkirk CC and Cardiff University. Key areas of expertise, all available in-house, include: vehiclelocation systems; mobile workflow systems; asset management;PLC’s systems; SCADA systems; MES Systems; instrument andcontrol panel build; and after sales support.

CCllaaiirree BBaannkkssBusiness Development Manager

Arab Health 26 – 29 January 2009 - Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, UAE

The Welsh Pavilion: Hall 7 Stand C35


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WWiillll KKlleeiisseerrExport Sales Executive

Sterilin

Magstim

Magstim provides the means for neuroscientists to work with thehuman brain in awake subjects by manufacturing and supplyingstate-of-the-art clinical and research instruments. Magstim andNeurosign products cover the fields of Neurology, Neurophysiology,Psychiatry, Cognitive Neuroscience as well as ENT, Orthopaedic andNeuro-surgery.

Magstim maintains a strong commitment to R&D and productimprovement. Collaborating with researchers in British and Europeanmajor centres of expertise (as well as those in North America andJapan) ensures that Magstim remains informed about clinical andmedical advances, enabling the company to develop products at theforefront of technology.

Products are sold directly to hospitals and clinics in the UK andIreland and exports account for much of the Magstim business. Ourprincipal markets are in Germany, France, Benelux, Japan, the FarEast and the USA. Magstim enjoys a close and effective relationshipwith its specialist distributors and provides significant training andafter sales service.

Mangar International

Mangar International has over 25 years experience in the design andmanufacture of equipment to minimise moving and handling risks toboth customers and their carers. Its products range, from bathlifts to pillowlifts, designed to workalongside existing furniture and require no permanent fixtures orfittings. Moving home, going on holiday, or simply freeing-up the bathfor another person pose no problems as Mangar products can beremoved or re-fitted in a matter of seconds.

Recognising that the requirements of its customer base changesevery day, Mangar International’s in-house R & D Team havecontinued to develop innovative solutions to mobility problems,enabling the Company to maintain its position at the forefront ofhealthcare and rehabilitation technology.

Since the company invented the world’s first structured poweredportable bathlift in 1981, it has come a long way growing into aninternationally recognised supplier of rehabilitation products andmoving and handling equipment. Mangar International has a strongreputation as a trusted company of proven integrity and credibilityand is exceptionally proud of its reputation and position as a marketleader.

The Magstim Company LtdSpring Gardens WhitlandCarmarthenshireSA34 0HRTel: 01994 240798Fax: 01994 240061Email: [email protected]: www.magstim.com

Mangar International LtdPresteignePowysLD8 2UFWales UKTel: +44(0)1544 267674Mobile: +44(0)7976 361765Email: [email protected]: www.mangarinternational.co.uk

Sterilin LtdAngel LaneAberbargoedBargoedCaerphillyCF81 9FWUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0) 844 844 3737Fax: +44 (0) 844 844 2373Email: [email protected]: www.sterilin.co.uk

Sterilin Ltd specialises in the manufacture of single use laboratoryplastics and comprises four established product brands: Sterilin®

Single Use Plastics; Iwaki® Tissue Culture Products; Sterilin SiliconeDevices and Sterilin Packaging Products.

The Sterilin brand is synonymous with quality, reliability and usersafety and offers a wide range of products for the pharmaceutical,clinical and healthcare, medical devices and industrial packagingindustries. All Sterilin products are manufactured at the company’sISO 9001:2000 accredited plant in South Wales, UK, where acommitment to the improvement in manufacturing processes andproduct development and clean room and microbiological researchfacilities ensures that every item is made to the highest possiblequality. Our worldwide distribution network ensures access to theextensive Sterilin portfolio from all areas of the globe.

RRaacchheell AAddaammssMarketing Manager

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UK Healthgateway LtdAttending from UK Healthgateway:Jon Wilks, DirectorContact at Arab Health:Tel: +44 (0)7900 570172Email: [email protected]

Ultrasound Technologies LtdLodge WayPortskewettCaldicotNP26 5PSUKTel: +44 (0)1291 425425Fax: +44 (0)1291 427093email:[email protected]: www.doppler.co.uk

UK Healthgateway works with medical equipment and device manufacturersworldwide to help achieve successful entry to the UK health market.Through a large network of expert associates, UK Healthgateway providesdetailed market entry plans and solutions for sales, marketing, regulatory,procurement, legal, financial, human resources and taxation. This enablesmanufacturers to save both time and money in entering the UK marketthrough elimination of costly mistakes and wasted resources.

Our unique 4-step approach covers market assessment, productawareness raising, market planning and market entry. Clients are givenflexible proposals that allow them to make informed and accurate decisions.UK Healthgateway works with overseas Embassies and High Commissionsin the UK for guidance on current UK health policy and directives - thisensures that their host country clients have the up-to-date information also.

UK HealthGateway

Ultrasound Technologies

A R A B H E A L T H - W A L E S P A V I L I O N D I R E C T O R Y

Ultrasound Technologies has a history of over 25 years in fetal and vasculardoppler systems. We offer over 12 doppler models, from simple fetal audiounits to those including fetal heart rate display. Vascular products areavailable with a choice of fine pencil probe or standard vascular pocketunits for routine vascular investigation and ABPI testing.

Fetal monitoring covers all antepartum and intrapartum applications withthe fetatrack 310 and fetatrack 360, offering easy-to-use systems fromUltrasound monitoring to continuous fetal pulse oximetry.

All the units have been designed by Ultrasound Technologies and aremanufactured in the company’s ISO9000:2000/ ISO13485:2003 certifiedfactory in Caldicot, South Wales. Ultrasound Technologies’ products are sold in over 90 countries world-wideand supported by a team of distributors in each country.

M E D I W A L E S R E V I E W 2 0 0 9 A r a b H e a l t h S H O W C A S E

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A new Fetal Heart Rate Monitor fromUltrasound Technologies is designedspecifically to cope with conditions inthe developing world. Produced incollaboration with electronicsmanufacturer Freeplay, the devicehas several self-generated powersources including a wind-up option.

Ultrasound Technologies designs andmanufactures a range of Dopplersand fetal monitors from their factoryin Caldicot, Wales, which they exportinternationally through a largenetwork of distributors. Freeplay isfamous for production of the world’sfirst wind-up radio, a landmarkdesign for the needs of developingcountries.

In the developing world a lack oftechnology and skilled personneloften contributes to complications formothers and their children duringbirth. Conventional Western healthtechnology is rarely the answer inthese conditions: devices are oftentoo expensive and users with therequisite training to operate them arein chronically short supply, whilepower sources are unreliable or non-existent.

Designed with these problems inmind, the power-free Fetal HeartRate Monitor is a high-sensitivityportable doppler with built-inrechargeable batteries. The monitoroffers several options for charging:winding the handle for one minuteprovides 10 minutes of monitoringtime, and an AC/DC adapter allowsfast charging of batteries when mainsare available. Use of solar panels ora Freeplay foot-pump electricalgenerator, also charge the unit.

The 2MHz fetal Doppler probe isdesigned for use by generalpractitioners or midwives for routineantenatal fetal detection. Fetalsignals are easily located using the

lightweight narrow beam transducer,while internal signal processingminimises noise. The fetal heart rateand beat icon is displayed on a LCDscreen, and fetal heart signals arealso audible over the built-inloudspeaker.

Accessible training for the device isequally important. Power-freeEducation and Technology (PET), anot-for-profit company workingalongside Freeplay, have produced‘The Fetal Heart Rate Handbook’. Thisguide outlines the physiology oflabour, aiding the identification ofabnormal readings from fetalresponses, and then suggestingappropriate action. In combining

appropriate technology andsupported education, the Fetal HeartRate Monitor package offers aninnovative, practical tool forimproving healthcare in thedeveloping world.

Ultrasound Technologies Ltd

Ultrasound Technologies LtdLodge WayPortskewettCaldicotMonmouthshire NP26 5PSTel: 01291 425425Fax: 01291 427093Web: www.doppler.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

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With pharmaceutical and bioscienceindustries subject to more vigilantlegislation than ever, newly-formedcompany Sterilin Ltd is manufacturingquality bespoke consumables to theexacting standards that the currentmarket demands.

The Sterilin brand was establishedover 40 years ago, pioneering theadvent of single use laboratoryproducts. Since that time the brandhas formed part of several scientificorganisations, most recentlyBarloworld Scientific. Sterilin Ltd wascreated in 2007 after Nova Capitalacquired Barloworld Scientific, hometo some of the world’s most famousbrand names in laboratory equipmentand consumables. One of fourindependent companies subsequentlyset up by Nova, Sterilin’s expertise is inthe manufacture of single-uselaboratory plastics. Changes in

Sterilin’s inauguration brings fourestablished brands to the market:Sterilin® Single Use Plastics; Iwaki®

Tissue Culture Products; Sterilin®

Packaging Products; and Sterilin®

Silicone Devices. The companymanufactures a wide range ofindustry-leading product lines such asthe 30ml Universal container with itsleak free cap - essential for the securetransport of infectious and valuablepatient samples throughout thehealthcare environment. There is alsothe development and manufacture ofthe Flowsecure urinary sphincter – asilicone implantable medical device formale and female incontinence. Whererelevant, products are tested andmanufactured according to industrystandards. It is this vigilance thatenables Sterilin to manufacture thehighest quality laboratory consumablesand maintain a competitive advantage.

The single-use products aremanufactured from virgin gradepolystyrene and prepared so that theyneed no washing or sterilising. Their‘germ-free’ state ensures sterility andconvenience in patient samplecollection and analysis: contaminantscan hinder accurate results and lead tounnecessary and inconvenient retests.Sterilin products help to reduce thechances of any such delay, avoiding theassociated stress to the patient andfinancial cost to the NHS.

For over 40 years these products havebeen mainly assisting the needs of themicrobiologist, but as therequirements of the end user areevolving, Sterilin is extending itsservices to accommodate the food,industrial, pharmaceutical, andforensic markets. The company aimsto penetrate the growing life sciencemarket by investing in improvedmanufacturing processes, new productlaunches, and an augmented range offactored items that will build on theSterilin brand.

Sterilin Ltd

Sterilin LtdAngel LaneAberbargoedCaerphillyCF81 9FWTel: 01443 830830Fax: 01443 878297Email: [email protected]: www.sterilin.co.uk

technology within the Life Sciencesmarket has provided the opportunityfor greater focus on new productdevelopment, helping them prosper asa new company in a competitivemarket.


For 18 years, Magstim has been apioneer in expanding the scientificfields of neuromodulation andneuroscience. As manufacturers ofdevices enabling neuroscientists towork with the human brain in awakesubjects, Magstim works closely withthe worldwide research community onleading-edge research andeducational initiatives.

Magstim, based in Wales, is one of onlythree companies world-widemanufacturing Transcranial MagneticStimulation (TMS) technology. Usingspecially designed electrical coils thatare held close to the head, TMS sendsstrong but very brief magnetic pulsesto the brain, inducing electric currentsin the subject’s neural circuitry. TMS isthe only technology that can non-invasively stimulate specific, targetedareas of the brain.

Magstim is proactive in meeting theneeds of the research community toprovide forums for debate and learning.The Magstim TMS Summer School isrun in conjunction with UniversityCollege London each May, attended byover 300 burgeoning researchers.Lectures are given by the world’sleading authorities on neuroscience,who discuss prevalent academiccontentions, whilst detailing the latestadvances in technology and research.The 2008 event focused on brainstimulation in plasticity andrehabilitation: planning for the 2009school is currently underway.

To complement its Summer Schoolinitiative, Magstim produces aprofessional newsletter(Neuromodulation News) that coverscurrent developments in this field.They will soon be launching intensivecourses for researchers, outlining howbest to use TMS equipment andperipherals in their ongoing work.Supporting material for researcherscan also be found on the Magstimwebsite. Meanwhile MagstimInnovations has recently beenestablished to provide bespoke

equipment and expert advice. Thiscustom design team promotes in-depthengineering and manufacturingcapabilities, offering creative andpractical solutions to demandingprojects.

Tying into recent advances, Magstimhas recently launched a range of TMS-complementary products that providenew avenues of research. The TMS-compatible EEG allows users tomonitor and record brain activity duringmagnetic stimulation. This makes itpossible to study the effects of TMS-induced cortical excitability andconnectivity with high temporalresolution. More investigation isneeded, but researchers have begun toinvestigate the use of TMS withappropriate EEG as a new way ofdetecting the impact of illness andresulting treatment upon brainconnectivity.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation(tDCS) is another technique supportedby Magstim, which is being investigatedas a treatment for conditions such asstroke recovery, depression andmigraine. tDCS involves applying weak

electrical currents to the head togenerate a static electric field whichmodulates the activity of brainneurons. tDCS can also be used inconjunction with TMS, functionalMagnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) orcentrally acting drugs.

In addition to magnetic stimulation,Magstim also supports nervemonitoring in clinical settings with itsNeurosign range. Neurosignmonitors help surgeons locate andrecord motor nerves during surgery,helping to prevent neural damage tothe patient in a range of highlysensitive surgical procedures includingparotidectomy, mastoidectomy,thryroidectomy and facialreconstruction.

The Magstim Company Ltd

The Magstim Company LtdSpring Gardens, WhitlandCarmarthenshire SA34 0HRTel: 01994 240798Fax: 01994 240061Email: [email protected]: www.magstim.com

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A r a b H e a l t h S H O W C A S E

Stimulateyourimagination...

For further details contact The Magstim Company Limited T: +44 (0)1994 240798 E: [email protected] W: www.magstim.com

Magstim provide clinicians and researchers with

state-of-the-art stimulation and monitoring

equipment to assess, protect and improve the

function of the human nervous system. Our

expertise is focussed on applications related to

magnetic neurological stimulation and intra

operative nerve monitoring within the fields of:

● Neurology

● Neurophysiology

● Psychiatry

● Cognitive Neuroscience

● ENT, Orthopaedic and Neuro-surgery

Our principal products are:

Magstim® - range of magnetic nerve stimulators.

Neurosign® - range of intra-operative nerve

monitors.

Brainsight™ TMS - stereotactic image guided TMS

system.

We are also proud to introduce Magstim

Innovations a newly formed custom design and

manufacture service and Magstim Air Film Coil

technology.

MediWales Review - Winter 2009

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