NEW YORK – October 30, 2026 -- The Galien Foundation marked the 20th anniversary of the Prix Galien USA Awards at the American Museum of Natural History, adding a new Patient First Award and presenting international honors alongside the U.S. prizes.
Eight U.S. categories judged by a 51-member panel
Winners were selected by the Prix Galien USA Committees, which comprise 25 committee members, 11 subcommittee members and 15 advisory board members. Three Nobel Laureates sit on the panels. The U.S. awards covered eight categories: Best Biotechnology Product, Best Pharmaceutical Product, Best Product for Rare/Orphan Diseases, Best Medical Technology, Best Digital Health Solution, Incubators, Accelerators and Equity, Prix Galien EcoHealth, and Best Startup.
International awards recognize past national winners in six categories
The Prix Galien International awards are presented every two years and honor previous national Prix Galien winners. They span six categories: Biotechnology, Digital Health, Medical Technology, Pharmaceutical Product, Orphan/Rare Diseases, and Startup.
The ceremony also introduced the inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award, which recognizes advocacy and commitment to improving the patient journey.
John Kerry receives the Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award
The foundation presented the Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award for Global Health Equity to John Kerry, former U.S. Secretary of State and first U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. The foundation cited his work as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, including support for PEPFAR funding and co-authorship of the bipartisan repeal of the 20-year U.S. HIV visa ban.
Foundation positions the prize as the life sciences' Nobel equivalent
Bruno Cohen, Chairman of The Galien Foundation, said the anniversary celebration was especially meaningful because it combined the USA, International and Patient First honorees. Michael Rosenblatt, MD, Chair of the Prix Galien USA Awards Committee and former Chief Medical Officer of Merck & Co., said the awards honor contributions to scientific progress and unmet medical needs.
Kenneth Frazier, former Chairman and CEO of Merck & Co. and now Chairman of Health Assurance Initiatives at General Catalyst, chairs the committee covering Medical Technology, Digital Health, Incubator/Accelerator/Equity and Startup.
Roland Mehl created the Prix Galien Awards in 1970. The program has chapters in 16 countries and Africa, and the foundation describes it as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for the life science industry.
Pharma and academic leaders staff the judging committees
The International committee includes Kenneth Frazier, Michael Rosenblatt, former Pfizer research head Mikael Dolsten and Sir Munir Pirmohamed of the University of Liverpool. Its members also include Takashi Kadowaki, President of the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences, and Ashutosh Sharma, President of the Indian National Science Academy. The Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Rare/Orphan Diseases committee counts Nobel Laureates Linda Buck and Avram Hershko among its members.