Galien Foundation Announces Final Program for 3rd Annual Galien Forum on October 16

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Foundation Board announced today the final program for the 3^rd Annual Galien Forum to be held in New York City at the Alexandria Center™ for Life Science on Tuesday, October 16 from 8AM to 4PM.

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"Health decision executives from the world's leading regulatory bodies, biopharmaceutical and service companies will be on hand to discuss, debate and advance some of the world's pressing health concerns at the Galien Forum," notes Bruno Cohen, chairman of the Galien Foundation and secretary general of the Prix Galien Award Program.  "We are encouraged that the heads of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency – together responsible for overseeing regulatory affairs for drug innovation for more than two-thirds of the global medicines market – as well as leaders of the world's leading biopharma innovation companies consider the Forum an opportunity to share viewpoints and discuss emerging policies."

This year's program includes:

• Introductory Remarks by P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., Chairman of the Prix Galien USA Committee, Chairman of Regeneron and retired Chairman and CEO of Merck
• A Panel on the Future of Biophamaceuticals Innovation with Dr. Vagelos and Fred Hassan, Chairman of Bausch + Lomb and former Chairman and CEO of Schering-Plough
• Policy panels with Margaret Hamburg, M.D., Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner and Prof. Guido Rasi, Executive Director, European Medicines Agency
• A Plenary Presentation on the Ethics of Innovation by Professor Elie Wiesel, Author and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
• Alzheimer's disease researchers and advocates from FDA, National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer's Association and Geoffrey Beene Foundation will discuss the White House 2025 treatment initiative in an expert panel moderated by Michael Rosenblatt, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Merck
• Experts from the Mayo Clinic, Harvard and Pfizer will explore possibilities resulting from combining genomics in personalized medicine on a panel moderated by Kris Joshi, Ph.D., Global Vice President, Oracle Health Sciences
• Maria Freire, Ph.D., President, Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, will lead a panel on "Infectious Diseases: A Global Health Challenge," with leaders from the Institut Pasteur, FDA, Glaxo and Merck
• The opportunities of the high-growth, emerging market of China will be debated by top thinkers from Stravencon, Palliwag, Deloitte LLP, Foundation Medical Development, Ferghana Partners and Aisling Capital.

The full program and instructions for registration can be found at:
http://www.galienfoundation.org/the-galien-forum/program.php.

About the Galien Foundation and the Prix Galien Awards
The mission of the Galien Foundation is to serve as a vehicle for the open exchange of ideas that drive science and new innovations.  The Foundation's third major forum will be held at the Alexandria Center for Life Science on the morning of October 16, 2012, and will feature round table discussions focusing on critical, global healthcare issues and challenges.

The Prix Galien Awards were created to honor medical research and pharmacology for outstanding efforts to improve the human condition though approval of innovative treatments and medicines.  The winners are selected by a preeminent scientific and learned committee that included several Nobel Laureates. Past product award recipients include; Prevnar 13^® (Pfizer 2011), Stelara^® (Janssen 2011), Prolia^®/XGEVA^® (Amgen 2011), Coartem^® (Novartis 2010), RotaTeq^® (Merck 2010), xTAG^® (Luminex 2010), Gleevec^® (Novartis 2009), Nplate^® (Amgen 2009), Promacta^® (GSK 2009), Cellsearch^® (Veridex 2009), Isentress^® (Merck 2009), Selzentry^® (Pfizer 2008), Soliris^® (Alexion 2008), Infuse^® (Wyeth 2008), Revlimid^® (Celgene 2008), Januvia^® (Merck 2007), Chantix^® (Pfizer 2007), Humira^® (Abbott 2007) and Gardasil^® (Merck 2007). 

The Pro Bono Humanum Award recognizes exemplary efforts by individuals and organizations in helping mankind.  The award will be presented by Professor Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Prize Laureate.  Previous winners of the award include: Professor Paul Farmer (2011); President Bill Clinton and Philippe Douste-Blazy (2010); Professors Barry Bloom and Jeffrey Sachs (2009); Sheldon Segal and the Population Council (2008); and Dr. P. Roy Vagelos (2007). 

For more information about the Prix Galien USA award and committee, visit www.galienfoundation.org.

SOURCE Galien Foundation