The Galien Foundation Announces Nominees for the Inaugural 2026 Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox
New Award Category Honors Excellence in Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, and Patient-Centered Care Improvement Initiatives at 20th Anniversary of Prix Galien USA
NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Foundation, the premier global institution recognizing groundbreaking achievements in the life sciences, today announced the nominees for the Inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox. This newly introduced award recognizes excellence in clinical research, clinical trials, and patient-centered care improvement initiatives that embody the principle "No decision for me without me." The winners will be announced during the Galien Patient Summit on October 29, 2026, at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City.
In its first year, the Patient First Award will be granted to the winning nominee in honor of Michael J. Fox, an actor, author, and advocate who launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 after publicly disclosing his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease. Mr. Fox is also the Prix Galien USA 2025 recipient of the Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award, which recognizes an individual's outstanding efforts to improve the human condition through the application of pharmaceutical science to problems of developing or underserved populations worldwide.
"We are truly inspired by this year's nominees, who are striving to prioritize patient care and wellbeing in response to the toughest health challenges," said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of the Galien Foundation. "While there is more work to be done to ensure that patient voices rise above the noise, we are confident that these nominees are proof of hope and innovation across the global health ecosystem."
The Prix Galien Patient First Award Committee comprises 12 distinguished leaders including prominent policymakers and representatives across patient advocacy and life sciences. Judges evaluated submissions that demonstrated excellence in initiatives that:
- Are led by patient organizations or embed patient voices directly into clinical trial design, recruitment, and execution
- Integrate lived experience into research priorities, protocols, and outcome measures
- Advance patient-centered quality improvement in real-world care delivery
- Demonstrate transparency, equity, and trust in patient partnerships
- Translate research into meaningful improvements in patient outcomes and quality of life
Inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox (Nominees) - Private-Sector Initiatives
Company |
Initiative |
Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
Sickle Cell Warriors as Partners: Driving Innovation Together |
Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease |
Advancing Patient-Informed Clinical Trials Through Intentional Patient Involvement |
Amgen |
Reimagining Patient Support: Building a Seamless Ecosystem Around Patients' Needs |
Amgen, Inc / US Medical / Corrie Lipids |
Corrie Lipids Program |
Ardelyx |
Engagement with Kidney Patient Community |
Bayer AG |
LIVED EXPERIENCE IN ACTION: FROM INSIGHT TO CHANGE |
Becton, Dickinson and Company |
PureWick® Flex Female External Catheter System |
Bristol Myers Squibb |
Patient Expert Engagement Resource (PEER) Program |
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a part of Angelini Pharma S.p.A. and the LEMS Family Association |
Beyond Diagnosis: Transforming Life with LEMS |
CG Oncology and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) |
Partnership to Enable Meaningful Support for Bladder Cancer Community |
Daiichi Sankyo |
Changes that Matter |
Eisai |
Magnolia Meals at Home™ |
Ember |
Ember Companion |
Evidently |
Evidently Clinical Data Intelligence |
Ferring Pharmaceuticals |
Patient-Centered Innovation in Bladder Cancer |
Gilead Sciences |
Yeztugo (HIV PrEP Innovation) |
IEEPO [Led and represented by an External Advisory Committee, funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche)] |
International Experience Exchange with Patient Organizations (IEEPO) |
Insightec |
Exablate® Neuro |
Johnson & Johnson |
The Patient Partnership: Expert by Experience |
kaleo, Inc. |
AUVI-Q® (epinephrine injection) |
Lung Bioengineering (A subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corp.), American Thoracic Society, Lung Transplant Foundation, National Scleroderma Foundation, Sarcoidosis Research Foundation, PF Warriors, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Taylor's Gift, Transplant Life Foundation, Trio and Wescoe Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis |
Lung Transplant Awareness Day |
Menarini Stemline |
MBC Patient Council: empowering patients in elevating their voices in healthcare decision-making through joint company/patient advocate co-creation initiatives |
Merck & Co., Inc. |
Let's Talk Trials |
Natera |
Signatera: Putting Patients at the Center of Precision Oncology |
Novartis & the Sjögren's Foundation |
Advancing Patient-First Innovation in Sjögren's Disease: A Long-Term Collaboration Between the Sjögren's Foundation and Novartis |
Organon & the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) |
Addressing Health and Well-Being of Women and Girls: A Multi-Program Approach Between Organon and UNFPA |
Parexel and Foundation Fighting Blindness |
Designing Trials With the Community They Serve: The Parexel and Foundation Fighting Blindness Patient Advisory Council Model |
Peel Therapeutics, Inc. |
PEEL-224: Reimagining Cancer Treatment |
Pfizer Inc. |
Patient Advocacy Leadership Collective |
Precision Neuroscience |
Layer 7: A high-bandwidth, minimally invasive, and safely removable brain-computer interface designed to help people living with neurological conditions communicate, connect, and operate digital devices using thought alone |
Prime Medicine |
Prime Editing |
Reverba Global, an IQVIA business |
Patient Experience Engine |
Roche Canada & Patient Partners |
Patient Inclusivity Initiative |
Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. |
KRESLADI™ for the Treatment of Severe Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I |
Servier |
GlioPact / A holistic co-creation framework with patients across the continuum of innovative care development & delivery |
SpliceBio |
A Patient-Centered Journey from Natural History to Treatment in Stargardt disease |
Travere Therapeutics |
Surge to Save Newborns |
UroGen Pharma |
Elevating the Patient Voice in Rare Urothelial Cancer: Kathy's Journey with Low-Grade UTUC |
Viver Health LLC |
A Patient-First Approach to Sexual Well-Being: Co-Creation and Impact of an Evidence-Based, Visually Engaging Educational Resource to Improve HIV/AIDS and STI Knowledge, Engagement, and Prevention Among Communities Disproportionately Affected in the United States. |
Workit Health |
Patients as Designers: Saving Lives from Addiction |
Zebricks |
The Zebricks Platform: Continuous Intelligence on the Global Patient Advocacy Ecosystem |
Inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox (Nominees) - Patient-Led Initiatives
Company |
Initiative |
A Cure In Sight |
ACIS Patient-Driven Innovation Ecosystem |
ADCY5.org |
ADCY5.org, Patient-Driven Research and Family Support Model |
Alzheimer's Association |
National Early-Stage Advisory Group |
Autoimmune Registry Inc. |
The Second Signal |
Biohub |
Rare As One Project |
Breakthrough T1D |
Project ACT (Accelerating Cell Therapies) |
Bringing Humanity into Medicine in Collaboration with Vera Therapeutics |
A New Paradigm for Patient Partnership and Patient-Centered Innovation |
Care Beyond Limits- Microcephaly Africa Foundation |
Dignity Centres of Excellence: A Radical Empathy Model for Microcephaly Care in Africa. |
Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University |
Master of Science in Health Systems (MSHS) |
Colorectal Cancer Alliance |
Project Cure CRC featuring KLEOS |
Congenital Hyperinsulinism International (CHI) |
Open Hyperinsulinism Genes Project |
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation |
IBD Plexus |
Cure HHT |
Nothing About HHT Without Us: A Patient-Governed Evidence Engine for a Disease With No Approved Therapy |
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation |
Co-Producing Innovation: Patient and Family Partnership in Transforming Cystic Fibrosis Research and Care |
Epilepsy Foundation of America |
Epilepsy Learning Healthcare System (ELHS), the Research Ambassador Program, and Sage (the Foundation's AI Epilepsy Assistant) |
EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe |
The collective voice of people living with a rare disease in Europe |
flok Health |
Care That Connects: A Community-Led Model Integrating Metabolic Care and Research |
Fondazione Telethon Ets |
A Unique Non-Profit Model to Advance Biomedical Research Towards Cures for Rare Genetic Diseases |
Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST) |
A Venture Philanthropy Model to Make the Impossible Possible for Rare Disease |
FOXG1 Research Foundation |
FRF-001: A Nonprofit Drug Development Model for Rare Disease, Sponsored by a Patient Foundation |
Fundació Privada per a la Recerca i la Docència Sant Joan de Déu |
SJD Strategic Patient Involvement Plan in Research and Innovation |
Genetic Alliance |
RISE: Rare Insights, Solutions, Empowerment |
Global Genes |
Sleep Data Collection Initiative |
GlobalSkin (International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations) |
Patient-Reported Impact of Dermatological Diseases (PRIDD) |
Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation |
From Registry to Guidelines: A Patient-Governed Model for Rare Disease Research |
Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network Inc. |
The HPS Network Patient-Driven Rare Disease Research and Care Model |
HSE |
A public-patient partnership: putting people at the heart of health and social care transformation in Ireland |
KCNT1 Epilepsy Foundation |
KCNT1 Trial-Ready Ecosystem |
Lipodystrophy United |
Voices of LU |
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) |
Path to a Cure |
National Bleeding Disorders Foundation |
Bleeding Disorders Research Collaborative (BDRC) |
National Kidney Foundation (NKF) |
NKF KidneyCARE Study |
NMDP |
Donor for All: Ensuring Every Patient Finds a Match |
Obesity Action Coalition |
Stop Weight Bias Campaign |
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) |
Patient First Advocacy |
Parkinson's Foundation |
Research Advocates Program |
Patient Advocate Foundation's Patient Insight Institute in collaboration with Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium and Patient and Caregiver Oncology Quality Council |
Advancing Equity in Cancer Care: A Framework for Addressing Social Determinants in Michigan |
Patients First Access Model[Søren Jarl Christensen, John Gerbild and Danielle Drachmann] |
August's Bridge to Access |
Peter Cohen Foundation, operating as EverythingALS and EverythingALZ |
EverythingALS Citizen-Driven Research and Innovation Platform |
Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Advocacy and Resource Network |
The IMPACT Framework: Identifying research targets by Merging Patient And Clinician Treatment information |
RARE Foundation |
Emboldening Rare Disease Community Engagement through the Guide to Patient Involvement in Rare Disease Therapy Development ("PFDD Guide") and RareGiving Program |
Rare Patient Voice |
Patients at the Center: Understanding Preferences in the Age of Decentralized Trials |
Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis Foundation |
Even One Less Surgery: How Patient Voice Became Part of the Regulatory Record |
Susan G. Komen |
Susan G. Komen's Advocates In Science® Bringing Focus, Urgency and Accountability to Patient-Centered Breast Cancer Research |
TB Alliance |
Patient-Centered TB Drug Development: How TB-Affected Communities Shaped BPaL/M from Discovery to Delivery |
TESS Research Foundation |
Powered by Patients: TSHA-105 Gene Therapy for SLC13A5 Epilepsy |
The ALS Association |
ALS Focus Survey Program |
The CureLGMD2i Foundation |
Shaping Clinical Trials and the Treatment Landscape |
The International Children's Advisory Network |
iCAN Voice Initiative: Kids and their Families as Co-Creators of Pediatric Research & Healthcare |
The MED13L Foundation |
From Families to Frontiers: A Patient-Driven Research Ecosystem for MED13L Syndrome |
The Patient-Driven PSC Research and Therapeutic Development Initiative |
The Patient-Driven PSC Research and Therapeutic Development Initiative |
Triage Cancer |
Legal & Financial Navigation Program |
Wayfinder Patient Advocates |
The Wayfinder Continuum |
Prix Galien Patient First Award Judges 2026
Dr. Amy P. ABERNATHY
M.D., Ph.D., Cofounder, Highlander Health; Principal Deputy Commissioner, FDA
Mr. Ronald BARTEK
MA, Co-founder/President, Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance; Board of Directors/past Chairman, National Organization for Rare Disorders; Vice President & Board of Directors, Alliance for a Stronger FDA, Board of Directors, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
David FAJGENBAUM
M.D., MBA, MSc., Co-Founder & President of Every Cure; Faculty member, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Ms. Julie FLESHMAN,
J.D., MBA, President & CEO, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Dr. Julie GERBERDING
M.D., MPH, President & CEO, Foundation for the National Institutes of Medicine
Margaret HAMBURG
M.D., Co-President, InterAcademy Partnership; Former Commissioner, US Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Steven LESTER
M.D., Medical Director, Discovery Oasis and Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care Accelerator
Ms. Tania SIMONCELLI
MS, Vice President, Translational Impact & Engagement, Biohub
Mr. Andrew SPIEGEL
Esq., Chairman, World Patient Alliance
Ms. Sheri STRAHL
MBA, MPH, President & CEO, ALS Network
Dr. Janet WOODCOCK
M.D., Longtime Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and Former Principal Deputy Commissioner, USFDA; Board Member, Every
Galien Patient First Award Advisory Board
Karla CHILDERS
Vice President, Bioethics, Policy & Partnerships, Johnson & Johnson
Grace CORDOVANO
PhD, BCPA, Founder, Enlightening Results, Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy
Julie CRONER
Patient Leader & VP, Community Development, Health Union
Dave deBRONKART
Patient Advocate; Co-Founder & Chair Emeritus, Society for Participatory Medicine
Jan GEISSLER
Founder & CEO, Patvocates
Aaron LEIBTAG
CEO & Co-founder, Pentavere
Dana LEWIS
Founder, Open APS
Derick MITCHELL
PhD, Executive Director of Programs, The Synergist
About The Galien Foundation
The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes, and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve human health. Its vision is to serve as a catalyst for the development of the next generation of treatments and technologies that will transform medical practice and save lives. Established in Paris in 1970 by Roland Mehl in honor of Galen, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology, the Prix Galien is widely regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.
Today, the Prix Galien operates through 16 chapters spanning more than 75 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Expansion is currently underway in China, Singapore, and Australia.
In 2025, the Foundation launched the inaugural Prix Galien Bridges Forum and Awards Ceremony at the Nobel Forum in Stockholm, spanning Northern and Southern Europe, Israel, and the Middle East, and the first-ever Patient Summit for Prix Galien USA, reinforcing its commitment to science without borders.
The Nobel Prize and the Prix Galien share a common birthplace in Paris, where Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament in 1895. However, while the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognizes up to three individuals for specific discoveries, the Prix Galien honors the collaborative spirit and multidisciplinary progress that define modern biopharmaceutical innovation.
For more information, visit www.galienfoundation.org.
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SOURCE The Galien Foundation
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