(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Prix Galien USA committee recognized excellence in scientific innovation that improves the state of human health last night during the fifth annual Prix Galien Awards Gala. The Pro Bono Humanum Award and the Prix Galien USA 2011 Awards for best biotechnology product and best pharmaceutical agent were presented at a ceremony held at the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The Prix Galien USA 2011 Award selection committee is an unrivaled network that includes seven Nobel Laureates in medicine and is led by Peace Prize winner, Professor Elie Wiesel. This year the committee honored Dr. Paul Farmer as the recipient of the 2011 Pro Bono Humanum award for his lifetime of humanitarian efforts in Haiti and throughout the world, while also advancing the fight against infectious diseases, including AIDS and tuberculosis.

“Dr. Farmer is an exemplary model of how one person can be a catalyst between science, business and government to serve as a beacon of hope to those in need,” said Mr. Wiesel. “Dr. Farmer’s dedication to combating deadly diseases while fighting poverty and inequality in developing countries is inspirational.”

In recognition of the development and discovery of biotechnology products that improve the human condition, the selection committee awarded Janssen Biotech, Inc.’s Stelara^® and Amgen’s Prolia^® and XGEVA^® each with the 2011 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Biotechnology Product. Stelara^®, from Janssen Biotech, Inc., is a treatment for plaque psoriasis that may help provide clearer skin and relief from symptoms, including plaque thickness, scaling, and redness. Amgen’s Prolia^® is the first and only prescription therapy for postmenopausal osteoporosis that is given as one shot every six months in a doctor's office, and XGEVA^® is the first and only RANK Ligand inhibitor for the prevention of skeletal-related events from solid tumors.

For pharmaceutical advancements, the 2011 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Pharmaceutical Agent was awarded to Pfizer’s Prevnar 13^®, a pediatric vaccine that helps protect against 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria.

“The development of these innovative solutions will inform future developments in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals for years to come,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Prix Galien USA committee chair, Research Professor of Medicine at NYU and editor-in-chief of The FASEB Journal. “It is our honor to recognize and award the technical, scientific and clinical research skills that contributed to the development of the products that received the 2011 Prix Galien Awards.”

Support for the Prix Galien Awards is provided by Oracle, DDB Healthcare, Proskauer, Cross River Bank, Deloitte, Alexandria Real Estate, Only Lyon, Medidata, Porter Novelli and SAS.

The Prix Galien Award recognizes, and is considered the industry’s highest accolade, equivalent to the Nobel Prize. Prix Galien was first established in 1970 by French pharmacist Roland Mehl and was inaugurated in the United States in September 2007.

For details about the Prix Galien USA award and committee, visit www.galienfoundation.org.