AEYE Health and Dr. Zack Dvey-Aharon Win Prestigious 2026 Prix Galien USA Award for Groundbreaking AI Technology Preventing Blindness

Often called the "Nobel Prize of biopharmaceutical research," the Prix Galien recognizes AEYE-DS as the Best Digital Health Solution of 2026, honoring a breakthrough that makes sight-saving diabetic eye exams accessible anywhere.

NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AEYE Health, a leader in autonomous artificial intelligence for medical diagnostics, today announced that its FDA-cleared technology AEYE-DS has won the 2026 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Digital Health Solution, one of the most prestigious distinctions in healthcare innovation worldwide.

The award recognizes the pioneering work of Dr. Zack Dvey-Aharon, Co-Founder and CEO of AEYE Health, and inventor of AEYE-DS, and the AEYE Health team for developing the world's first FDA-cleared portable, fully autonomous AI diagnostic solution, making diabetic eye exams accessible at virtually any point of care without physician interpretation.

AEYE Health was selected from 25 nominees in the Best Digital Health category, including OpenEvidence, RapidAI, Cleerly, Medable, Owkin, and Evinova.

A breakthrough invention addressing one of healthcare's most preventable tragedies

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults. Timely screening can prevent most vision loss, yet millions of patients miss their annual eye exams. Traditional screening requires a separate appointment with an eye specialist, creating substantial barriers to care, including limited availability, long waiting times, cost, and inconvenience. As a result, diabetic eye disease often remains undetected until irreversible damage occurs.

AEYE-DS was invented to fundamentally change this reality.

Using advanced AI, AEYE-DS transforms an eye examination that traditionally depends on specialized clinical resources into a rapid, fully autonomous diagnostic test that can be performed by nurses and medical assistants during routine primary care visits and any point of care:

• Fully autonomous AI diagnosis: No physician interpretation required.
• Portable and tabletop compatibility: Exams can be performed anywhere, across a wide range of settings.
• Simplified workflow: Using one image per eye, without dilation, with immediate results, all under a minute.
• Over 99% imageability: A diagnostic result for virtually every patient.

AEYE-DS was validated in three prospective, controlled, multicenter phase-III pivotal clinical trials of more than 1,200 patients, demonstrating sensitivity of 92%–93%, specificity of 89%–94%, and imageability exceeding 99%.

From scientific invention to preventing blindness at scale

AEYE-DS is the fastest-growing diabetic eye screening solution in the United States, deployed across dozens of major healthcare systems and hospitals. By bringing sight-saving exams directly into primary care and other healthcare settings, with seamless electronic health record (EHR) integration that streamlines documentation, referrals, and reimbursement, AEYE-DS is transforming blindness prevention, replacing the need for separate specialist appointments with immediate, accessible screening during routine medical visits.

A recognition of scientific innovation with a profound human purpose

"Receiving the Prix Galien Award is one of the greatest honors of my professional life and an extraordinary recognition of the work of the AEYE Health team," said Dr. Zack Dvey-Aharon, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of AEYE Health, who was also named among TIME's 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2024.

"When we began this journey, we were struck by a troubling reality: diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults, despite being preventable. Millions were losing their vision not because the disease couldn't technically be detected, but because healthcare wasn't reaching them in time."

"Today, AEYE-DS is helping healthcare providers prevent blindness across the United States. This award is a tremendous recognition, but our greatest achievement remains every patient whose sight can be preserved because this technology exists. We are only at the beginning of what autonomous AI can accomplish for global healthcare."

Leading the next generation of autonomous AI in healthcare

Building on the success of AEYE-DS, AEYE Health is advancing AEYE-X, its next-generation oculomics platform designed to enable broad, noninvasive health assessments from retinal images. The AEYE-X investigational platform can assess more than 100 health indications, spanning cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and ocular conditions, potentially expanding the role of retinal imaging far beyond traditional eye care.

Together, AEYE-DS and AEYE-X reflect the company's broader vision: to use artificial intelligence to make advanced medical diagnostics faster, more accessible, and available to patients wherever they are.

About AEYE Health

AEYE Health is a leading healthcare AI company dedicated to preventing blindness and transforming medical diagnostics through autonomous artificial intelligence.

Its flagship product, AEYE-DS, is an FDA-cleared, fully autonomous AI diagnostic solution for diabetic retinopathy screening, enabling accurate, on-the-spot diabetic eye examinations using portable and tabletop retinal cameras, without routine dilation or physician interpretation. Validated through three prospective, controlled pivotal phase-III clinical trials, AEYE-DS is rapidly expanding across the United States and is now the fastest-growing solution in the country.

AEYE Health is also developing AEYE-X, a pioneering oculomics platform designed to deliver the first comprehensive, noninvasive health assessments from retinal images, currently featuring over 100 best-in-class indications.

About the Prix Galien

Established in 1970, the Prix Galien is among the world's most prestigious honors for innovation in life sciences and healthcare. Often regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize of biopharmaceutical research, it recognizes outstanding advances in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical technology, and digital health innovation.

The Prix Galien USA Awards are judged by distinguished leaders in medicine, science, and industry, with the broader award program involving Nobel Prize laureates and internationally recognized experts.

Media Contact

AEYE Health Press Team
press@aeyehealth.com 
www.aeyehealth.com 

SOURCE AEYE Health