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Aston University pharmaceutical spin-out company shortlisted in life sciences industry awards

Apr 15, 2024

2 min

Ali Al-Khattawi



  • MESOX is a spin-out from the pharmaceutics group at Aston Pharmacy School
  • The company partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to bring challenging therapeutics to market
  • It has been shortlisted in the Medilink Midlands Awards 2024.


A spin-out company from Aston University’s pharmaceutics research group has been shortlisted for a life sciences industry award.


The Medilink Midlands Awards aim to showcase the very best collaborations between industry, academia and the NHS across the Midlands.


The company, MESOX, founded by Dr Ali Al-Khattawi, a lecturer in pharmaceutics at Aston Pharmacy School, is competing in the Start-Up category for newly established companies that show a promising future.


With in-depth expertise in particle engineering for drug delivery and pharmaceutical spray drying, MESOX uses IP-protected carriers to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of pharmaceuticals, partnering with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to bring challenging therapeutics to market.


Medilink Midlands provides specialist business support to boost the region’s economic output from the life sciences industry. Working alongside the Midlands Engine and other strategic alliances, it helps stimulate additional and value-added growth of the Midlands as a prosperous community for life sciences.


The awards winners will be announced at a ceremony taking place on Thursday 9 May at the Athena in Leicester. To celebrate Medilink Midlands’ 20th year anniversary of delivering business support, one finalist will be announced as the 2024 ‘Winner of all Winners’ and presented with a £5,000 prize for innovation development.


Dr Ali Al-Khattawi, founder and CEO of MESOX, said:


“We are excited to be nominated as a finalist for this award, which is a testament to the innovative research at Aston University that has led to MESOX and a great way to recognise the efforts of our team.


“MESOX is expediting the development of life-saving therapeutics through cutting-edge carrier technologies. Our vision is to be a leading research-based pharmaceutical company in the Midlands one day and we hope this opportunity brings us a step closer to this goal.”


Luke Southan, technology transfer manager at Aston University, said:


“Aston University’s School of Pharmacy has always been a hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship. This is most often seen through our many students who end up running their own independent pharmacy stores, but it is also the school that has created the most Aston spinouts.


“MESOX is the latest example of this, and it is a company that is on track to be generating significant revenue and region impact over the next five years. This award nomination evidences the potential the company has to offer.”

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Ali Al-Khattawi

Ali Al-Khattawi

Lecturer in Pharmaceutics

Dr Al-Khattawi's research interests are on the development of innovative particle design and fabrication strategies.

PharamaceuticalsPharmaceutical ProductsPharmaceutical Particle EngineeringFabrication Strategies
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