Little-known Irish pharma firm Open Orphan is among best performing on stock exchange on Covid-19 work

Firm tapping millions of euro in contracts from the UK government and other institutions to advise on human clinical trials used in testing Covid vaccines

Cathal Friel, executive chairman of Irish pharmaceutical company Open Orphan.

A little known Irish pharma firm, Open Orphan, is among the best performers on the Irish Stock Exchange this year after tapping millions of euro in contracts from the British government and other institutions to put together and advise on human clinical trials used in testing Covid-19 vaccines, the Irish Examiner can reveal.  

Its shares have climbed over 340% since the middle of January, and have risen 65% in the last month, to value the firm on Thursday at €167m, according to data from Euronext Dublin.