A leading entrepreneur and UK export champion has been honoured with a special award from Imperial College London.

Morningside Pharmaceuticals founder and chairman Dr Nik Kotecha OBE won the distinguished alumni award at the university’s 2022 alumni awards.

The awards honour outstanding former students who have demonstrated excellence in their personal and professional achievements, are leaders in their field or have made a big impact on society.

Based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, Morningside has been making and supplying generic medicines to the UK and globally for three decades.

The company exports to more than 120 countries and is now one of the UK’s leading suppliers of medicines to international aid organisations.

Dr Kotecha is also the founder and trustee of the Randal Charitable Foundation, which is dedicated to saving lives, helping the socially disadvantaged and improving the quality of life for those in need in the UK and around the world.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be honoured by the university in this way.

“As a child growing up in Leicester my family had very little, but I was fortunate to be given opportunities to gain a good education.

“After finishing my degree in Newcastle, Professor Steve Ley FRS at Imperial College took a chance in accepting me into his eminent group and this really was the opportunity I needed to forge a career.

“Over three decades later, it’s truly humbling to be recognised for my entrepreneurial journey, which was only made possible by the help and support I received to gain a good education along the way.”

Dr Kotecha studied a PhD in medicinal chemistry under the supervision of Prof Ley at Imperial, before moving to work at the University of Cambridge.

He founded Morningside in 1991 and today it supplies 240 generic and branded licensed medicines in the UK and EU. At home it distributes pharmaceutical products twice daily, so they are available when doctors and their patients need them.

Dr Kotecha is also a board member of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and Midlands Engine Council, is co-chair of the Loughborough Town Deal board, a member of the Centre for Social Justice board, a CBI Regional councillor and a Department for International Trade Export Champion.

He and his wife launched the Randal Charitable Foundation in 2017. It provides grants which are reported to have saved or improved the quality of life of more than 145,000 people, and which have an ultimate aim of helping 1 million people in the UK and globally.

Nicola Pogson, director of alumni relations at Imperial College London, said: “We are delighted to acknowledge the many achievements and positive impact on society of Imperial alumnus Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, an exemplary role model for our community and joint winner of the distinguished alumni award 2022.”

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