The Galien Foundation Announces Nominees for the Inaugural 2026 Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox
Image File
Original HTML

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

Inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox (Nominees) - Patient-Led Initiatives

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.

Follow the Foundation on social media: 

https://www.facebook.com/GalienFoundation/

https://twitter.com/GalienFdn 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-galien-foundation/ 

Media Contact: 

Kara Bradley

Finn Partners 

[email protected]

646-213-7243

SOURCE The Galien Foundation

Share this article

Class (B2B/B2C)
B2B
Ingest Status
Need Review
Dedupe hash
prn_302875514
Press Eligible
Yes
Press Eligible Reason
QA FAIL (need review): TARGET incorrectly states Janet Woodcock is a former FDA Commissioner; SOURCE lists her as former Principal Deputy Commissioner and longtime CDER Director. Also, the final paragraph is generic About-the-Foundation boilerplate with no news context.
Source Name
Unknown Company
Original Summary

<p>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...</p>

Original Link
Original Source
Image URL
https://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS663671/The-Galien-Foundation-Logo.jpg?id=OA2941485&p=facebook
Generated Article_json
{"target_audience": "b2b", "is_medical": true, "ai_generated_title": "Galien Foundation Launches Patient First Award Honoring Michael J. Fox", "body_html": "<p><strong>New York -- [CURRENT_DATE] --</strong> The Galien Foundation has announced nominees for its inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award in Honor of Michael J. Fox, a new category recognizing patient-centered clinical research and care initiatives at the 20th anniversary of Prix Galien USA.</p><h5>Winners will be revealed at New York's Galien Patient Summit on October 29, 2026</h5><p>The ceremony will take place at the New York Academy of Medicine. The award marks the first time the Galien Foundation has created a category dedicated solely to patient-led and patient-embedded initiatives in clinical trial design, recruitment, and outcome measurement.</p><h5>Award honors Michael J. Fox, who founded his Parkinson's disease foundation in 2000</h5><p>Fox, an actor and advocate who publicly disclosed his Parkinson's diagnosis before launching the Michael J. Fox Foundation, is also the Prix Galien USA 2025 recipient of the Roy Vagelos Pro Bono Humanum Award. Nominees are evaluated across two tracks: private-sector initiatives and patient-led initiatives.</p><h5>A 12-member judging panel includes former FDA commissioners and disease-foundation executives</h5><p>The Patient First Award Committee features Dr. Amy Abernathy of Highlander Health and the FDA, former FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, former FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, and Julie Fleshman of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, among 12 total judges drawn from patient advocacy and life sciences leadership.</p><p>\"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.</p><h5>Judging criteria require transparency, equity, and demonstrated patient trust in research partnerships</h5><p>Submissions were assessed on whether initiatives embed patient voices directly into trial design, integrate lived experience into research protocols, advance real-world care quality improvement, and translate research into measurable gains in patient outcomes and quality of life.</p><h5>Prix Galien now operates through 16 chapters across more than 75 countries</h5><p>The Foundation, established in Paris in 1970, expanded in 2025 with its first Bridges Forum at the Nobel Forum in Stockholm and its first Patient Summit for Prix Galien USA. Expansion into China, Singapore, and Australia is currently underway.</p>", "meta_description": "Galien Foundation unveils nominees for its first Patient First Award, honoring Michael J. Fox, with winners set for New York's Oct. 29 Patient Summit.", "seo_keywords": "Prix Galien, Michael J. Fox, patient-centered care, clinical trials, Galien Foundation, patient advocacy, biopharmaceutical innovation", "companies": ["The Galien Foundation", "Michael J. Fox Foundation"], "industries": ["Biopharmaceuticals"], "markets_regions": ["United States", "Global"], "news_type": ["general_news", "product_launch"], "themes": ["patient_centered_care", "clinical_research", "regulatory_compliance"], "products": ["Prix Galien Patient First Award"], "events": ["Galien Patient Summit"], "cta_text": "Winners of the inaugural Prix Galien Patient First Award will be announced October 29, 2026, in New York.", "learn_more": "https://www.galienfoundation.org", "fact_check": {"accuracy_score": 100, "legal_risk": "low", "corrections_made": [], "recommendation": "publish"}}
Content Hash (SHA-256, erste 32 hex)
158af0cf68a8c53bcde3d81060343ea7