The Prize

In 1990 Sandoz established the Sandoz Prizes for Immunology which was expanded to its present format in 1992. Novartis was created in 1996 through the fusion of Sandoz and Ciba. Novartis is committed to its support of basic research in immunology and the continued high level of R&D established by its predecessors. The prizes are now known as the Novartis Prizes for Immunology, one for basic and one for clinical immunology, each worth SFr 100,000, and may be shared between more than one individual. A fifth of each prize is given in personal recognition of exceptional individual endeavour and achievement, while the remainder is intended to support further research by the prize winners. The prizes were set up both to stimulate research for some of the most difficult problems in modern medicine, and to increase fruitful exchanges between researchers in the academic and industrial communities. They provide a valuable focus on immunology as a key area for medical progress, and are intended to further remarkable recent advances in understanding which have made it possible to treat or even cure conditions that have long been seen as an inescapable part of the human condition.

The Prizes are awarded for

Outstanding achievements in the understanding of immunology and major immunological discoveries that lead to therapeutic applications in such fields as transplantation, haematopoiesis, cancer immunology, immunity to infectious diseases, rheumatology, dermatology and asthma. Innovative immunological research in these areas has amply demonstrated its immense potential, leading to significant advances.