PHARMExcel and Axovia Therapeutics proudly celebrate recognition at the OBN Awards for Most Impactful CRO–Sponsor Collaboration.

PHARMExcel marks an incredible achievement at the 2025 OBN Awards, where its collaboration with Axovia Therapeutics earned finalist recognition for Most Impactful CRO–Industry Collaboration of the Year. The leading UK-based Contract Research Organisation (CRO) specialising in high-quality clinical trial management is renowned for sponsor advocacy and its unique patient-centric approach. PHARMExcel founder and CEO Yvanne Enever who attended the awards with her team, celebrated the win whole heartedly as an acknowledgement of the CRO’s dedication to excellence in clinical trial delivery, which is consistently underpinned by a spirit of partnership and genuine care.

PHARMExcel was nominated for its ophthalmology and rare disease study partnership with Axovia Therapeutics, a University College London spin-out developing a world-first gene therapy for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS). BBS is a rare genetic condition that can cause progressive vision loss, obesity, kidney failure, and developmental delays. The study sets a benchmark for how gene therapy trials in rare eye diseases can be prepared and delivered in the UK.

The OBN Awards, now in its 17th edition, aim to celebrate innovation and outstanding achievement across multiple areas of the life sciences industry, highlighting groundbreaking scientific advancements and contributions to unmet clinical needs from emerging startups to established firms.

PHARMExcel is honoured to have been recognised in the category of Most Impactful Industry Collaboration of the Year, together with:

• Milner Therapeutics Institute​
• SAH Diagnostics​
• Arctoris​
• RSSL​
• RxCelerate

Furthermore, being recognised in the same cohort as the incredible innovators, emerging biotechs and pharmaceutical companies, is a notable honour.

While PHARMExcel is not therapeutic specific, this award winning CRO has worked extensively in delivering clinical trials for ophthalmology therapies and rare diseases. The collaborative partnership with Axovia Therapeutics, which this recognition is for, involved harnessing the experience gained from both specialties.

For this clinical trial the CRO leveraged its understanding of the UK regulatory pathways and its knowledge of specialist NHS research sites and hospitals capable of delivering the trial successfully.

The recognition received by the OBNs centres around collaboration, something which PHARMExcel regards as a priority for every project. The CRO has always worked in close partnership with its sponsors, providing support above and beyond the norm for its clients. This collaborative spirit is rooted in the CROs origin, starting out to help academic researchers to bridge the gap between academia and commercialisation by providing personalised support for their clinical trials.

As a smaller CRO, PHARMExcel is agile – capable of finding solutions; flexible – tailoring its offering to a client’s requirements; while never sacrificing quality. These aspects make it possible for PHARMExcel to truly collaborate with their sponsors: working in agile ways, offering a personalised service and delivering high quality clinical trials.