A PRESTWICH woman who works for a pharmaceutical company has won a national sales award.

Claire Eddington (29), has been named Aspiring Regional Business Manager of the Year in a competition for pharmaceutical sales managers across the UK.

The successful businesswoman works for LEO Pharmaceuticals which has its headquarters in Buckinghamshire.

Claire, who manages a team of dermatology sales representatives, beat nearly 200 other sales managers from some of the country's largest pharmaceutical companies.

She said: "I am thrilled by the award. I looked upon entering the competition as a personal challenge and was delighted to reach the finals. Winning is fantastic."

Claire, a former pupil of St Monica's RC High School, had to submit a written test of her management skills before undergoing an assessment of her leadership skills by experts from the pharmaceutical industry.

Kevin Thomas, national sales manager for LEO Pharmaceuticals, said he is very proud of Claire.

"At LEO, we aim to create an environment which encourages people to develop and excel in their chosen field," he said.

"However, any organisation is only as good as the people who work for it and this is tremendous recognition for all the hard work that is put in on a daily basis."

He added: "The awards are very competitive and for Claire to take on managers from some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the UK and win is a tremendous result."

The awards, organised by the magazine Pharma Times, were presented at a ceremony at the Cafe Royal in London.

They were set up seven years ago to highlight and reward the excellence of regional business managers and showcase their talents to the pharmaceutical industry.

LEO Pharmaceuticals is the leading company of its kind in dermatology and is committed to the professional development of its employees.