Novartis nabs two prestigious Prix Galien awards

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) has been awarded the prestigious 2016 Prix Galien USA Award for Best Biotechnology Product for Cosentyx (secukinumab), as well as the Prix Galien Foundation "Discovery of the Decade" award for Best Pharmaceutical Product for the drug Gleevec (imatinib mesylate). The awards were presented at a ceremony in New York City.

"We are honored to receive these prestigious awards for Cosentyx and Gleevec, which not only have changed the practice of medicine for certain conditions, but also represent years of hard work by our scientists," said Joseph Jimenez, chief executive of Novartis, adding "These wins underscore our commitment to addressing the unmet medical needs of patients through science-based innovation."

Cosentyx was the first fully human interleukin-17A (IL-17A) antagonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2015 for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Cosentyx was also approved for the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis in 2016.