CEO of Experimental DMD Therapy Leader PTC Therapeutics Awarded 2014 New Jersey TechCouncil Award

Margarida Azevedo, MSc avatar

by Margarida Azevedo, MSc |

PTC Therapeutics

PTC TherapeuticsStuart W. Peltz, Ph.D, the CEO of biopharmaceutical company PTC Therapeutics, Inc., was recently granted the 2014 Legend of Technology Award for Vision, Innovation, and Leadership, in recognition of the impact of his work in the field of technological industry based largely on PTC’s investigational therapy for DMD. The award was granted at the annual dinner event of the 2014 New Jersey TechCouncil (NJTC) Awards Celebration, which took place last November, 20.

The New Jersey TechCouncil Awards are meant to honor the top technology companies of the region, as well as their leaders and business accomplishments, technological collaboration, partnership and innovation. Ever year, the Tech Council chooses an elite group of leaders to be awarded at the ceremony.

“We are thrilled to have so many outstanding companies and innovators to accept these awards,” said the president and CEO of the Council, Jamed Barrood. “This year was particularly difficult to select those being honored from the many nominations we received. The judges were truly challenged and did a terrific job in identifying honorees that represent the best of the region’s tech community.”

Since its foundation in 1996, NJ Tech Council has been dedicated to supporting the tech ecosystem of the region of New Jersey by providing recognition, networking, education and services to the community. The council is committed to offering network and collaboration opportunities, as well as education and professional opportunities, access to new funding, promotion of technological innovation and accomplishment, and advocacy for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“I am honored to receive the 2014 Legend of Technology Award,” said Peltz. “When I founded PTC over 16 years ago, my goal was to bring novel therapies to patients with little to no treatment options. Today, I’m excited to say that PTC is commercializing its first product to treat the underlying cause of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I am proud that we have been able to translate the innovative science developed in New Jersey into treatments for patients with little or no treatment options.”

[adrotate group=”3″]

PTC Therapeutics has been working on the development of an orally administered, proprietary small molecule medication that targets post-transcriptional control processes. Its main investigational product is Translarna, which is a treatment for nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy, designed for ambulatory patients who are five years old and up. The company presented the results of the phase 2b clinical trial this past October, which revealed that Translarna (ataluren) was able to improve the clinical outcomes of the patients tested.

In addition, PTC Therapeutics was also recently granted the Outstanding Innovation Award at The 2014 Rare & Orphan Advocacy & Research Awards, for Translarna, at the 5th Annual World Orphan Drug Congress Europe, after the drug having become the first treatment for DMD to be approved by the European European Union. The award is granted in recognition of the innovation and advancements brought to the treatment of a rare and orphan disease in terms of research, development, or advocacy.