Innovative medtech companies supplying human tissue and cardiac implants have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the life sciences sector in the West of Scotland.

The Nexxus Life Science Awards 2009 were presented at Oran Mor in Glasgow, in front of 130 delegates from industry, academia and the NHS.

Clydebank-based Tissue Solutions, which supplies ethically-acquired human tissue to life science companies worldwide, won the Most Promising Young Life Science Company Award.

Since its launch by cofounders Ann Cooreman and Morag McFarlane in late 2007, Tissue Solutions has gained clients in Europe, the US, Canada and Japan. It supplies precise types of tissues with detailed donor information.

In 2008, Tissue Solutions received 42 orders; this year, it has received over 140 orders. The company sees a high percentage of repeat customers.

Chief Scientific Officer Dr Morag McFarlane said: "We have built up a large portfolio of blue chip clients from scratch with no external investment. We want to make Tissue Solutions, and Scotland, a major focal point for high-quality, ethical tissue provision on the worldwide stage."

Renfrewshire-based Vascutek won the Nexxus 2009 Life Science Award for Innovation for its BioValsalva implant, which simultaneously replaces a diseased heart valve and its main artery.

Vascutek commented: "With an ageing population requiring increased cardiac intervention, our product has come to fruition at a good time. It's a wonderful feeling to be a part of creating a product that can make a real difference to so many lives.

"BioValsalva proves that a product does not have to be new to be innovative. Vascutek combined two existing technologies to provide a solution to an old surgical problem, and created a new opportunity."

BioValsalva is the first pre-assembled implant combining a biological heart valve and a self-sealing vascular graft. It enables surgeons to reduce operating time and blood loss during replacement procedures, and takes away the need for anticoagulation treatment.

The device has been approved for use in 42 countries, and more than 2,000 have been implanted.

Morag McFarlane and Ann Cooreman                     Paul Burns