Prix Galien USA today announced Roy Vagelos, former Chief Scientist and CEO of Merck & Co., will receive this year’s coveted Prix Galien Pro Bono Humanitarian Award for his role in eliminating river blindness as a major public health threat.
“Dr. Vagelos made an historic decision to donate the drug, Mectizan ‘as long as necessary for as long as necessary,’ to prevent river blindness,” said Gerald Weissmann, Prix Galien USA Committee Chair. “He also established an innovative public-private program to make the medication available to people at risk, most of whom live in Africa.”
