Intelliject President & CEO Spencer Williamson recently won the Ernst & Young (E&Y) Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 Greater Washington Award in the Health Services and Technology category.

Based in Richmond, Va., Intelliject was founded in 2004 by twin brothers Eric and Evan Edwards in an effort to find a more user-friendly solution to administer epinephrine in the event of anaphylactic shock. Both brothers had suffered from severe allergies since childhood.

That solution became the Auvi-Q device, the first and only epinephrine auto-injector with voice instructions. Auvi-Q provides step-by-step voice instructions along with visual cues and a five-second countdown to help ensure the medication is delivered quickly and accurately during a potentially life-threatening situation.

After years of development, Auvi-Q is now on the fast track. The company received FDA approval for the device in August 2012 and reached a licensing agreement with Sanofi-Aventis to commercialize the product in North America.

In January 2013, Auvi-Q became available on pharmacy shelves in the U.S., and the company is well-positioned to expand internationally.

Intelliject is a shining example of Virginia’s growing life sciences industry and the innovative environment the Commonwealth offers to entrepreneurs. More than 800 life sciences companies have chosen to locate in Virginia for its access to top research institutions, biotech parks and a highly-trained workforce with the medical expertise to support the industry.

To learn why Virginia was ranked the No. 2 Emerging Biotech Hub by Business Facilities magazine, click here.