The Galien Foundation Honours Leaders in Life Sciences Innovation with the 2026 Prix Galien UK Awards

-- Winners across biotechnology, digital health, medical technology, pharmaceuticals, public sector, and health equity categories honoured at prestigious Awards Ceremony

LONDON, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Galien Foundation, the premier global institution dedicated to honouring innovators in life sciences, announced the winners of the 2026 Prix Galien UK Awards last night at the Natural History Museum, London. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the life sciences, including "Best Biotechnology Product," "Best Digital Health Solution," "Best Medical Technology," "Best Pharmaceutical Product," "Best Public Sector Innovation," "Best Health Equity Initiative," and "Best Product for Orphan Disease."

The 2026 Prix Galien UK Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Dame Kate Bingham, Former Chair of the UK Government's Vaccine Taskforce, whose efforts were instrumental in leading the UK's sourcing and manufacturing of a COVID-19 vaccine. Kate has spent over 30 years at SV Health Investors, building and investing in early-stage biotech companies across the UK, EU, and US, contributing to the development of numerous first-in-class treatments for inflammatory diseases, autoimmune conditions, and cancer. In 2018, she launched the Dementia Discovery Fund, the first venture capital fund focused on disease-modifying dementia therapies. Kate also serves on the boards of the Francis Crick Institute and ARIA, and holds a First-Class degree in Biochemistry from Oxford and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

"Recognising and celebrating these groundbreaking solutions to global health challenges, and the teams working diligently behind them, is a testament to the future of patient care worldwide," said Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, David Weatherall Chair of Medicine at the University of Liverpool and the NHS Chair of Pharmacogenetics, Chair of the Prix Galien UK Committee. "We congratulate this year's esteemed nominees and winners and look forward to following their continued success."

The 2026 Prix Galien UK Award Winners

"Each year, the Prix Galien UK Awards celebrate excellence across the life sciences and inspire the next generation of innovators to drive meaningful progress in global health," said Bruno Cohen, Chairman of The Galien Foundation. "As we welcome this year's winners to the Galien Hall of Fame, we honour their contributions while celebrating the past, present, and future of innovation that advances wellbeing for people and the planet."

During the Ceremony, the Foundation was honoured to receive the keynote address from Dr John-Arne Røttingen, MD, PhD, CEO, Wellcome; Committee Member, Prix Galien Bridges. His dedication supporting science to solve urgent health challenges facing everyone is highly valued around the world, exemplified by John-Arne's many international roles in health and research, including most recently as Ambassador for Global Health at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norway. John-Arne has held academic positions at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Oslo, and is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the US National Academy of Medicine. John-Arne trained in medicine and science, receiving his MD and PhD from the University of Oslo. He also has an MSc from the University of Oxford and MPA from Harvard University.

Prix Galien UK Awards Committee 2026

Professor Sir Munir PIRMOHAMED
David Weatherall Chair of Medicine, University of Liverpool, NHS Chair of Pharmacogenetics
Committee Chair

Professor Jane ADAM
Honorary Professor, University of Exeter, Consultant Radiologist, St George's Hospital London and former Chair Technology appraisal committee, NICE

Professor Bruce CAMPBELL
Past Chair NICE Interventional Procedures and Medical Technologies Advisory Committees; Honorary Vascular Consultant and Professor, Exeter

Alison CAVE, PhD
Chief Safety Officer, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Professor Jesse DAWSON
Professor of Stroke Medicine at School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow; Consultant Physician in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow

Doctor Stephanie KUKU
Chief Knowledge Officer - Conceivable Life Sciences, Senior Consultant – Hardian Health, Board Trustee – The Kings Fund, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, UCL

Professor Sudhesh KUMAR, OBE
Vice President (Health), University of Warwick and President of Association of Innovation, Research and Technology Organisations, UK (AIRTO)

Professor Andrew MORRIS, CBE
Director, Health Data Research UK & Professor of Medicine and Vice Principal Data Science, University of Edinburgh

Professor Sharon PEACOCK, CBE
Master of Churchill College Cambridge

Professor Duncan RICHARDS
Professor of Clinical Therapeutics, University of Oxford

Doctor Lauren WALKER
Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Liverpool

Professor Dame Moira WHYTE
Sir John Crofton Professor of Respiratory Medicine, University of Edinburgh

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 in 16 countries across Africa, Europe, the United States and the UK. Expansion is currently underway in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. 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 recognises up to three individuals for specific discoveries, the Prix Galien honours the collaborative spirit and multidisciplinary progress that define modern biopharmaceutical innovation.

For more information, visit www.galienfoundation.org.

Follow the Foundation on social media:
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Visit the Galien Hall of Fame:
https://infogram.com/prix-galien-uk-since-1990-1hnp27e0qqyzn4g

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