Tris Pharma's Ketan Mehta Among Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Finalists in New Jersey

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Tris Pharma, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative drug delivery technologies, today announced that Ketan Mehta, the company's Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer, has been named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2013 Award in the New Jersey region. The awards program recognizes high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Finalists were selected by a panel of independent judges. Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 13 at the Hyatt New Brunswick.

Tris has achieved significant growth since Mr. Mehta founded the company in 2000. Under his leadership, Tris has developed multiple proprietary drug delivery technologies that fulfill an unmet need among people who have difficulty swallowing pills. Tris has launched several important products and continues to partner with key pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer to bring innovative products to market.  Tris' active development pipeline consistently targets unmet patient medical needs, complementing its drive for continued corporate growth. The company is now more than 300 employees strong and steadily growing.

"I'm thrilled to be a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in New Jersey," said Mehta. "It's truly an honor to be recognized among such an impressive group of peers. I'm proud of Tris' success and look forward to continuing to instill the entrepreneurial spirit in our employees."

Now in its 27^th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Program has expanded globally to recognize company builders in over 140 cities and in more than 50 countries throughout the world. Regional award winners go on to compete at the national level. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the National Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2013. The awards are the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation's most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In New Jersey, local sponsors include PNC Bank, DLA Piper, Merrill Corporation, Morgan Lewis, Empire Valuation Consultants, Scherzer International, SolomonEdwardsGroup, Cresa NJ, Gibbons, Murray Devine, New Jersey Technology Council, NJBIZ, WithumSmith+Brown.

About Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award recognizes the significant contributions of entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.

About Tris Pharma

Tris Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of technologies-driven products. Tris has pioneered the delivery of sustained release in the liquid, chewable/ODT and strip dosage forms so patients do not have to swallow a pill. Tris' Nobuse™ technology provides abuse deterrence for opioids and other abuse-prone drugs. Tris' R&D and manufacturing facilities are located in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, U.S.A. For more information, please visit http://www.trispharma.com.

SOURCE Tris Pharma, Inc.