BIOPHARMACEUTICAL giant Shire has been crowned Company of the Year at the London Stock Exchange TechMARK 2011 awards dinner.

The company, which is the UK’s third largest pharmaceutical company and is headquartered at the Hampshire International Business Park, Chineham, impressed a judging panel made up of high-profile members from the London investor and media community.

Collecting the award on behalf of the company was Sarah Elton-Farr, director, investor relations, who is based in Basingstoke.

She said: “It is a fantastic honour. This award reflects the very ethos of our company, where employees are dedicated to making a positive impact on patients’ daily lives.

“We are proud and honoured to receive this award, particularly given the stiff competition from a number of highly-respected companies.”

In June, Shire, which employs about 4,000 people in more than 25 countries, was named Business of the Year at the 2011 First Women Awards, recognising the company as the only FTSE 100 business where women make up 50 per cent of the executive leadership team.

Also in the summer, the company won a film award for its corporate film, Better Lives, receiving the Silver Medal at the US International Film and Video Festival.