Dr. Napoleone Ferrara Wins 2011 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
Discovery Unlocked Key to Novel Anti-angiogenesis Therapies
Johnson & Johnson today announced the winner of the 2011 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research during the BIO International Convention (BIO) in Washington D.C. Napoleone Ferrara, M.D., is the seventh leading scientist to win the Award, which honors a scientist or team of scientists whose contributions have the potential to significantly improve the health and lives of people around the world. Dr. Ferrara was selected by an independent committee of eight renowned scientists, including Nobel Laureates, Lasker Prize winners, and others, for his research on angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation that plays a key role in cancer proliferation and a number of other diseases. Dr. Ferrara’s discoveries opened the door to the development of a new class of therapeutics to combat a serious eye disorder and contributed to the development of new oncology therapeutics.
“With the 2011 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, Johnson & Johnson recognizes Dr. Ferrara for the meaningful impact his discoveries have had on the lives of patients all over the world,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson. “Like Dr. Paul Janssen, Dr. Ferrara is a visionary who brings passion, commitment to excellence and a spirit of collaboration to the vitally important work of scientific discovery and pharmaceutical research.”
Dr. Ferrara’s lab isolated and cloned vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a major regulator of angiogenesis in physiology and disease, and helped elucidate the role of the factor and its receptors in the development of tumors. Dr. Ferrara’s findings resulted in the development of a new class of treatments, anti-VEGF compounds, which inhibit the growth of new blood vessels. His discoveries led to the development of ranibizumab (trade name Lucentis®), a treatment that can help halt and even reverse vision loss in the many patients who experience severe vision loss or blindness caused by the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This advancement also helped foster the clinical development of bevacizumab (trade name Avastin®), an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for the treatment of cancer.
“Dr. Ferrara’s discovery of VEGF transformed what we know about blood vessel development,” said Solomon Snyder, M.D., Distinguished Service Professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Chairman, Janssen Award Selection Committee. “His research has changed many lives by engendering the development of landmark treatments in the fields of oncology and ophthalmology.”
“I am honored to be selected as this year’s winner of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award,” said Dr. Ferrara. “Dr. Janssen was one of the world’s most inspiring and creative scientists. Like he was, I am passionate about the work I do, and I believe we have a great opportunity in the scientific community to address unmet needs through dedication and innovative research. I am delighted to take part in the development of treatments that are able to provide hope and relief to patients around the world.”
The Award, which includes a $100,000 prize, will be presented to Dr. Ferrara in a ceremony in New York, New York on September 13 and 14 and in Beerse, Belgium on September 15.
A special press event to honor Dr. Ferrara will be held at the Biotechnology Industry Organization Annual Convention Wednesday, June 29 at 9:30 a.m. in Press Room 208B. Dr. Ferrara and Dr. Stoffels will discuss the future of biomedical innovation and provide opportunity for Q&A.
Dr. Ferrara has previously received prestigious honors and awards, including the 2010 Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, the Prize for Research in Ophthalmic Disorders from AIRCMO, the Italian Association for Ophthalmic Research, the American-Italian Cancer Foundation Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine, the Bruce F. Cain Memorial Award from the American Association for Cancer Research, the Grand Prix Lefoulon-Delalande-Institut de France Award and the General Motors Cancer Research Award.