PhRMA honors Gardasil(r) researchers with Discoverers Award
Source: sev.prnewswire.com/medical-pharmaceuticals Author: press release The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) will honor recipients of its 2009 Discoverers Award and 2009 Clinical Trial Exceptional Service Award tonight at PhRMA's annual meeting in San Antonio, TX. The awards will be presented to biopharmaceutical company scientists and other researchers who helped discover, develop and advance Gardasil(r), a breakthrough vaccine from Merck & Co., Inc. that can help prevent cervical cancer. (See footnote for more detailed description.) Cancer vaccines represent an emerging type of biological therapy. With 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 250,000 deaths from it each year worldwide, human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and the resulting cancers are a major human health threat. HPV infection typically occurs in adolescent and young adult women. "The recipients of these awards should all be proud that they have played such an incredible role in advancing healthcare here in America and around the world. Millions of patients will live healthier, longer lives because of the critical research that was done by these dedicated researchers," says PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin. "These extraordinary honorees certainly deserve this recognition because they are the heroes behind a medicine that helps patients prevent a life-threatening cancer before it can get started." PhRMA's Discoverers Award recognizes scientists whose research and development of medicines have greatly benefited mankind, and whose dedication to improving the quality of patients' lives exemplifies the best among research-based company scientists today. Discoverers Award recipients are Merck's Eliav Barr, M.D., Vice President, Oncology Clinical [...]