The Galien Foundation Presents Michael J. Fox with 2025 Roy Vagelos, Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity

- Michael J. Fox to receive award on October 30, 2025, at the Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony in New York City

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Foundation, the premier global institution dedicated to honoring innovators in life sciences, today announced Michael J. Fox as the 2025 recipient of the Roy Vagelos, Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity. Michael J. Fox is recognized for his exceptional contributions to Parkinson's disease through the founding of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, which has advanced research, supported therapy development, and strengthened understanding within the Parkinson's and medical communities. The award will be presented at the 19th annual Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony, to be held on Thursday, October 30, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

"The Galien Foundation is honored to recognize Michael J. Fox for his unwavering commitment to Parkinson's research and advocacy. Through his foundation, he has raised global awareness, driven major scientific advances—including a breakthrough biomarker and new treatments—and offered hope to patients worldwide. His candor and resolve have transformed public understanding of the disease, reducing stigma and inspiring engagement in medical progress," said Kenneth C. Frazier, Co-Chair of Prix Galien USA Committees.

The Roy Vagelos, Pro Bono Humanum Award recognizes innovative individual and group efforts to improve the human condition through the application of biomedical science to health problems in developing or underserved populations worldwide. In 2018, the Award was renamed in honor of its first recipient, Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, renowned biopharmaceutical leader and philanthropist, honored for his decades of corporate and philanthropic contributions to combating disease and advancing better health for all. Dr. Vagelos chaired the Prix Galien USA Committee between 2012 and 2017.

Since its inception, the annual Prix Galien Pro Bono Humanum Award was personally presented by Prof. Elie Wiesel (1928–2016), Honorary Founding President of the Galien Foundation, Holocaust survivor, and 1986 Nobel Peace Laureate. Prof. Wiesel attended every ceremony during his lifetime. The inaugural Galien Patient Summit will also pay tribute to his enduring legacy as the Foundation's Honorary Founding President.

"Michael J. Fox has changed the way the world sees both Parkinson's disease and the power of science to address it. Through his vision and leadership, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has become a model for how advocacy and research can work hand in hand to deliver real progress. The Galien Foundation is privileged to celebrate not only the advances his foundation has achieved, but also the hope, dignity, and inspiration he continues to give to patients, families, and scientists everywhere," said Michael Rosenblatt, MD, Co-Chair of Prix Galien USA Committees, Former Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine, and former Chief Medical Officer of Merck & Co. Inc.

Driven by his personal experience with Parkinson's disease, Michael J. Fox established The Michael J. Fox Foundation to accelerate scientific research, advance the development of novel therapies, and improve outcomes for individuals affected by the condition. Under his guidance, the Foundation has become a global leader in funding innovative studies, supporting clinical trials, and fostering collaboration across the scientific and medical communities. His sustained commitment continues to propel progress in the field, and those seeking to support or learn more about the Foundation's initiatives are invited to visit: https://www.michaeljfox.org/

To learn more about the award and past Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award winners, please visit: https://www.galienfoundation.org/roy-vagelos-pro-bono-humanum-award. To join us for the 2025 Prix Galien USA Forum and Awards Ceremony, please visit our website at: https://join.galienfoundation.org/.

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 treatments and technologies that will impact the state of medical practice and save lives. The late Professor Elie Wiesel, 1986 Peace Nobel Laureate, is The Honorary Founding President of The Galien Foundation

The Foundation oversees and directs activities in the US for the Prix Galien, an international awards program dedicated to progress through innovative medicines development, with chapters in 14 countries, Africa and an inaugural chapter established in India in 2024. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 by Roland Mehl 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.

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SOURCE The Galien Foundation