The innovation award will honor research-based innovation. Anne Kjersti Fahlvik, Area Director for Business Development and Innovation at the Research Council, justifies the award with "Vaccibody is a unique example of how the combination of talent, a strong team and solid research environments built over a long period of time can provide knowledge that leads to innovative world-class products". Read the press release on the Research Council's website (Norwegian only).
The prize of NOK 500,000 is allocated for innovation activities and the prize money Agnete Fredriksen has decided will go to SPARK Norway.
–First, we would like to congratulate Agnete and Vaccibody on a very well-deserved award, says leader of SPARK Norway, Morten Egeberg. What Agnete has accomplished with Vaccibody is an achievement that deserves honor, she is a very good role model for other entrepreneurs who practice health-related life sciences. We really appreciate getting the prize money. The money will go to the talented academic innovators we work with in SPARK Norway. We will manage this special gift in Agnete's spirit as an inspiration for our SPARKees to go a little further to reach their goals.
Agnete Fredriksen started Vaccibody in 2007 together with her supervisor professor Bjarne Bogen and professor Inger Sandli. Vaccibody develops DNA-based personalized vaccines aimed at treating and preventing cancer and infectious diseases. Earlier this autumn, Vaccibody entered into a global licensing and collaboration agreement with Genentech, a company under the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche. Together, they will develop a DNA-based individualized neoantigenic cancer vaccine.
Read about the innovation programme SPARK Norway