HUNGARIAN INNOVATION GRAND PRIZE AWARD CEREMONY
The 2021 Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize and five other innovation awards were presented on the Europe Boat. A jury of scientists and respected business experts, headed by the Minister of Innovation and Technology, selected the outstanding innovation achievements mainly on the basis of economic indicators - the additional profit, additional revenue achieved - and social utility. In total, world-class achievements with a total social benefit of more than HUF 20 billion were recognised at the Hungarian Innovation Grand Prix award ceremony
The 2021 Hungarian Innovation Grand Prize was awarded to CycloLab Ltd. for its SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drug delivery system. Their innovation is the development of a new synthesis method and purification process for the industrial-scale production of sulfobutyl ether beta-cyclodextrin. Their synthetic chemistry process consists of efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective purification steps. This cyclodextrin derivative is now used as an excipient in more than 10 marketed human medicines (Dexolve®), including the therapeutic use of the anti-COVID molecule Remdesivir. CycloLab is the second largest producer of this cyclodextrin derivative in the world after CyDex in the USA. Cyclolab's operating result in 2021 was about 1.4 billion HUF, of which Dexolve 1.1 billion, of which domestic sales, 776 kg, were worth 1 077 088 EUR, i.e. about 377 M HUF.
The 2021 Industrial Innovation Award, sponsored by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, was awarded to MEDITOP Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for the development and production of Favipiravir Meditop 200 mg film-coated tablets. It was necessary to develop a manufacturing technology for the product that does not infringe the original manufacturer's patent rights valid until 2030. In 2021, the total turnover of Favipiravir MEDITOP 200 mg film-coated tablets delivered in the third and fourth wave of COVID 19 exceeded HUF 2600 M + VAT.
The 30th Hungarian Innovation Grand Prix competition was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office with funding from the NRDI Fund.
