The Prix Galien Russia Selection Committee Honors Excellence in Scientific Innovation at 2016 Prix Galien Russia Awards Gala

MOSCOW, December 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

On Thursday, December 1st 2016, the Prix Galien Russia Awards Committee honored excellence in research, development and innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry at its third awards ceremony. The gala dinner was held in the presence of Sergey Tsyb, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Natalia Sanina, First Vice Chairman of the State Duma Healthcare Committee; Mikhail Murashko, Head of Roszdravnadzor, National Service of Control in Healthcare, Sergey Muravev, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Public Relations, and Igor Lanskoy, Advisor to the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation among others.

For the third time in history, the Prix Galien Russia Awards Committee, a Jury of 15 unrivalled Russian scientists and doctors, including academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recognized leading efforts in advancing the human condition through biopharmaceutical innovation in six categories: Best Orphan Drug, Best Pharmaceutical Agent, Best Biotechnology Product, Best Medical Technology, Best Research in Russia and Best Russian Product.

The Prix Galien Russia 2016 awards were presented to the following winners:

In the category of Best Orphan Drug the award was presented to Amgen's Blinatomubab, for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Blinatumomab overcomes the effect of tumor escape from the immune system. Due to its unique mechanism of immune effect, blinatumomab does not inhibit hematopoiesis, this sets up blinatumomab from cytotoxic agents, exhibiting a myelosuppressive effect, which limits their therapeutic options. The Medal was presented to Oleg Paroshin, CEO of Amgen Russia by Ekaterina Zakharova, President of the Association of rare diseases.

The 2016 Prix Galien Russia Award for Best Pharmaceutical Agent was presented to Janssen's (Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson&Johnson) - Imbruvica® (Ibrutinib) for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Ibrutinib is the first BTK inhibitor to offer patients a novel, targeted treatment that combines unparalleled efficacy and good tolerability with the convenience of oral dosing.

In the category of Best Biopharmaceutical Product, the 2016 Prix Galien Russia Award was presented to Bristol-Myers Squibb's Yervoy® (Ipilimumab) for treatment of previously treated unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The 2016 Prix Galien Russia Award for Best Medical Technology was presented to Abbott's Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold. Absorb is the world's first drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Absorb is designed to open a blocked heart vessel in the same way as a traditional metallic stent and then dissolve naturally.

In the category of Best Research in Russia the award went to Valery Charushin, Oleg Chupakhin and Vladimir Rusinov for their work on the development of a new generation of antivirals of the family of azoloazines.

The 2016 Prix Galien Russia Award for Best Russian Product was presented to the DNA-Technology and Federal State Budget Institution "Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology" Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation "Femoflor®"+"ImmunoQuantex®" for differential and complex diagnosis of different clinical condition connected with dysbiotic disorders and inflammatory conditions of the lower reproductive tract of women.

On the occasion of World HIV day, the Jury also honoured E. Zvartau, E. Krupitsky, D.Lioznov, G.Woody, J. Samet with a special distinction for their work on the prevalence of HIV in vulnerable and special populations of the Russian Federation.

Reading a letter received by Veronika Skvortsova, Igor Lanskoi, adviser to the minister declared that "for many years, this has been one of the most coveted awards in the field of biopharmaceutical research, opening new perspectives for the improvement of medical science".

Michael Murshko, presenting the medal for Best Research in Russia declared "healthcare cannot develop without innovations and the Prix Galien award is a successful example of support for new improvements in biomedical science, the main purpose of which is to provide patients with quality and effective medical products".

Representing the State Duma for the first time at the event, Natalia Petrovna Sanina declared "Prix Galien is not just an award, it is a movement aimed at searching for and promoting scientific innovations that contribute to people's health".