The Galien Awards Committee Elects National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. as 2013 Pro Bono Humanum Honoree

NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Awards Committee announced today that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has been selected to receive the 2013 Pro Bono Humanum Award at the seventh annual Prix Galien USA Awards. The Pro Bono Humanum Award recognizes exemplary and innovative efforts in improving the human condition. This prestigious award will be presented by Elie Wiesel, KBE, Peace Nobel Laureate, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on October 22, 2013. Dr. Fauci will also offer the Keynote Address at the Awards Gala.

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The Galien Awards Committee elected immunologist and infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony S. Fauci as this year's honoree for his paramount contributions to basic and clinical research on the pathogenesis and treatment of immune-mediated and infectious diseases. He currently serves as Director of the NIAID and chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Fauci has made remarkable strides in furthering the understanding of AIDS and its destructive impact on the body's immune system. He is a key advisor to the White House and Department of Health and Human Services on global AIDS issues and initiatives that strengthen the medical and public health's preparedness against infectious disease threats. He was also a principal architect of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved millions of lives in the developing world. For this accomplishment, Dr. Fauci was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Lasker Award for Public Service.  The Lasker and Prix Galien award, like the Nobel Prize, are often seen as global bellwether honors to the highest scientific achievement. 

"Thanks to the ground-breaking research by professionals such as Dr. Fauci, progress is being made in the fight against AIDS that was once unimaginable," remarked Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, Chairman of the Awards Committee. "We are honored to award Dr. Fauci, whose work espouses the Galien Foundation's core values of research, development, and innovation."

The Pro Bono Humanum Award will be presented at the annual Prix Galien USA Awards. Previous recipients of the Pro Bono Humanum Award include: Dr. Francis S. Collins (2012), Professor Paul Farmer (2011), President Bill Clinton and Philippe Douste-Blazy (2010), Professor Barry Bloom and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs (2009), Sheldon Segal and the Population Council (2008), and Dr. P. Roy Vagelos (2007).  The ceremony is considered the biomedical industry's highest accolade and recognizes the technical, scientific and clinical research skills necessary to develop innovative medicines and devices. Those interested in attending the Prix Galien USA Awards ceremony, as well as the Galien Forum, an event prior to the awards that features roundtable debates focusing on critical, global healthcare issues and challenges, can register here: http://register.prix-galien-usa.com/registration/index.

About the Galien Foundation

The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve the state of human health. Our vision is to be the catalyst for the development of the next generation of innovative treatment and technologies that will impact human health and save lives.

The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the USA for the Prix Galien, an international award that recognizes outstanding achievements in improving the human condition through the development of innovative therapies. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 in honor of Galen, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Worldwide, the Prix Galien is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.

For more information visit www.galienfoundation.org.

Galien Foundation Media Contact:

Jon Florio
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SOURCE Galien Foundation