2011 Prix Galien USA Final Candidates Announced: Competing for Best Biotechnology Product and Best Pharmaceutical Agent

NEW YORK, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Honoring biomedical advances impacting both individual lives and public health in the past decade, the Prix Galien USA committee today announced the 2011 final candidates for the 5th annual Prix Galien Awards competition. The Prix Galien Award recognizes the technical, scientific and clinical research skills necessary to develop innovative medicines and devices, and is considered the industry's highest accolade.

Final candidates for the Prix Galien USA 2011 Awards are:

"Pharmaceutical research and development advances the human condition through the development of novel therapies and cures," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Prix Galien USA committee chair, New York University professor emeritus and editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal. "This year's candidates demonstrate the positive impact biomedical discovery and innovation can have on improving lives of individuals."

As in past years, the committee will judge candidates as Best Pharmaceutical Agent and Best Biotechnology Product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the past 10 years.

"Prix Galien salutes the major contributions of the scientists and researchers who devote their lives to the development of treatments in the continuous quest to improve the health of the world's population," said Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate and Prix Galien USA committee member.

2011 candidates range from a vaccine to protect babies from seven strains of pneumococcal bacteria to the first oral drug therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.  In 2010, the Prix Galien USA committee honored life sciences companies for innovations such as therapies for rare genetic disorders and diagnostic tests to indentify infections.  Last year's honorees include Luminex Corporation (xTAG ®), Novartis (Coartem®) and Merck & Co. (RotaTeq®).

The Award Ceremony, held at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, September 27, 2011, is among the most prestigious prizes for biopharmaceutical research and development.  The Prix Galien USA award committee comprises 11 individuals including Nobel Laureates, founders of major biotech companies and editors of world-renowned biology journals.  Prix Galien was first established in 1970 by French pharmacist Roland Mehl and was inaugurated in the United States in September 2007.

For details about the Prix Galien - USA award and committee, visit www.galienfoundation.org

AWARDS COMMITTEE

MICHAEL S. BROWN, M.D.*
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

WALTER GILBERT, PH.D.*
Harvard University

JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN, M.D.*
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

PAUL GREENGARD, PH.D.*
Rockefeller University

ERIC R. KANDEL, M.D.*
Columbia University

RICHARD A. LERNER, M.D.
Scripps Research Institute

PAUL A. MARKS, M.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

BENGT SAMUELSSON, M.D., PH.D.*
Nobel Foundation, Karolinska Institute

JAN T. VILCEK, M.D.
New York University School of Medicine

ELIE WIESEL*
Honorary Member, Boston University

GERALD WEISSMANN, M.D.
New York University School of Medicine Committee Chairman

*Nobel Laureate

The Galien Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions are tax deductible as provided by law.

CONTACT:  Mary Heather, Porter Novelli for Prix Galien USA, +1-212-601-8153

SOURCE Prix Galien USA