Prix Galien CEE Lifetime Achievement Award for Jerzy Starak

The Prix Galien Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the most prestigious distinctions in the global ecosystem of medicine and innovation. It is granted to outstanding leaders whose long-term work has a tangible impact on scientific progress, the development of modern healthcare, and the strengthening of sustainable foundations for medicine supply security. This award is reserved for those who combine bold vision with consistent execution, setting directions that shape the future of the entire sector.

This year’s Prix Galien CEE Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to Jerzy Starak. He is the creator of an ecosystem that brought together science, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology into a coherent structure capable of delivering solutions that compete at the highest global level. Through long-term investments and the consistent development of domestic capabilities, Poland has strengthened its position as a country able to advance modern therapies, produce active pharmaceutical ingredients, and reinforce medicine supply security — both nationally and across the region.

Today, one in three medicines used in Polish hospitals is manufactured by Polpharma, and the domestic production of more than forty active ingredients significantly enhances the country’s resilience to global disruptions. Thanks to investments in Polpharma Biologics and Rezon Bio, Poland has ceased to be merely a recipient of technologies. FDA and EMA approvals for biosimilars developed in Poland, along with the return of distinguished scientists to the country, demonstrate that Poland is becoming a recognised medical innovation hub in Europe.

An important part of Jerzy Starak’s work is also philanthropy: the Horyzonty program opens pathways to education for young people, and the Polpharma Scientific Foundation supports ambitious research projects.

“Thank you for this distinction. The Prix Galien is an award of exceptional importance, as it reflects the long-term impact on the advancement of science, health, and society. (…) I would like to thank my colleagues for their remarkable determination, creativity, and hard work. It is thanks to them that initial ideas become reality. I would also like to thank all of you — the leaders of this sector — for demonstrating that industry, science, and innovation can share a common foundation: responsibility.” - Jerzy Starak

On behalf of the Galien Foundation, we congratulate this year’s Laureate and express our appreciation for the long-standing contribution to the development of medical innovation, the strengthening of the health ecosystem, and the enhancement of medicine supply security in Poland and across the region. This distinction highlights the importance of consistent, long-term work dedicated to the future of medicine.