OptiNose Inc. announced that the Company has recently won the Oslo regional finals of the DnB NOR Innovation Award for its novel, bi-directional nasal drug delivery technology.
The annual competition arranged by the Norwegian bank DnB, Norway's largest financial services group, recognizes innovative companies for the best business ideas of the year. Winning ideas build on new knowledge, or use existing knowledge in an innovative way. The panel emphasizes that winning ideas must have the potential for commercial value, societal benefit and the opportunity for economic savings. Additionally, companies need to exhibit a development plan for the realization of the idea.
According to the panel's statement, "OptiNose has addressed an important challenge with a large international market potential…If the winner succeeds with this, it will mean a major breakthrough in the treatment of disorders of the brain, and Norway will become a benchmark in this area of research and development. It also opens doors for the development of several new treatment options with great commercial potential."
"It is an honor for OptiNose to receive this important recognition from a leading organization like DnB NOR. We truly believe our bi-directional drug delivery technology holds the promise to more effectively deliver therapies to treat debilitating diseases -- from nasal polyps and migraines today, to a variety of CNS disorders in the future," said Per Djupesland, M.D., Ph.D, Chief Scientific Officer, OptiNose, Inc.
The Company was awarded 200,000 NOK (approximately $36,000 US), and is now eligible for the Norwegian national finals in September, which carries a one million NOK prize. Thirty-three ideas/companies out of a total a total of 716 participants from across Norway entered the seven regional finals.
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