Shorla Oncology co-founders win EY Entrepreneurs of the Year award

The co-founders of Tipperary-based cancer drug company Shorla Oncology were named as EY Entrepreneur of the Year at the annual awards ceremony in Powerscourt Hotel in Co Wicklow on Thursday evening.
Sharon Cunningham and Orlaith Ryan, who also won best emerging entrepreneurs at the gala event, founded the company in 2014 with a focus on rare, orphan and paediatric cancers.
It has reformulated certain cutting-edge treatments to make them easier to use for their target patients, like a children’s cancer drug, which it redeveloped from a difficult to swallow capsule to an oral solution.
Shorla has a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products, including four drugs approved by the Federal Drug Administration in the US.
Earlier this year, Ms Cunningham and Ms Ryan told The Irish Times that Shorla has raised $45 million to expand its pipeline of treatments. This includes a 2020 Series A investment round, led by Dublin-based venture capital firm Seroba Life Sciences, whose other portfolio companies include Endotronix and Atlantic Therapeutics.
Previously, the company won the overall award at the Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition in 2019 and its founders were included on a list of 50 people to watch out for in 2020 by The Irish Times.
Ms Cunningham and Ms Ryan will now represent Ireland at the EY World Entrepeneur of the Year awards next year.
Other winners on Thursday night included Ivor Queally, chief executive of QK Group South Africa, who was named best international entrepreneur.
Ruth, David and John Mackey, the siblings behind Mybronics, a Galway company that develops space laser systems for satellite communications, won best established entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Duncan O’Toole, founder of renewable energy trading and consulting company Captured Carbon, won a special sustainability award at the event in the Powerscourt Hotel. Former taoiseach Enda Kenny also received a special recognition award at the annual gala event on Thursday, which marked the awards programme’s 27th year in Ireland.
“On behalf of EY, I extend my warmest congratulations to this year’s award winners,” said Roger Wallace, EY partner lead for the EoY programme. “These inspiring business leaders embody true entrepreneurial spirit in their daily endeavours – from pioneering innovative concepts to demonstrating unwavering passion and commitment in their remarkable businesses.”
Harry Hughes, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 and chair of the judging panel, said the finalists “represent an exceptional group of dynamic business leaders”.