On 20 January 2009, Mr.Tharit Charungvat, Director-General of Department of Information, in the capacity of Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Public Relations, Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, and Clinical Professor Dr. Supat Vanichakarn, Secretary-General of the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation held a press conference on the Prince Mahidol Award Presentation Ceremony 2008 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prince Mahidol Award Foundation was established on January 1st, 1992 in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol. The Foundation is under Royal Patronage, with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn as president. The Prince Mahidol Award is conferred annually upon individual(s) or institution(s), which have demonstrated outstanding and exemplary contributions to the advancement of medicine, public health and social services throughout the world. Each Award consists of a medal, a certificate and a sum of US $50,000.
They announced that on 3 November 2008, the Board of Trustees chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn considered the total of 49 candidates from 19 countries and decided to confer the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 in the field of medicine to Professor Dr. S?rgio Henrique Ferreira, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Professor Dr. Ferreira`s discovery of the Bradykinin Potentiating Factor (BPF) which is a peptide found in the venom of a Brazilian snake. His discovery paved the way for the development of the angiotensin converting enzymes inhibitors (ACEI), the first of which is the drug called captopril. Professor Ferreira also discovered the COX-2 inhibitors. The Discovery of the ACEI and the COX-2 inhibitors are saving lives of millions of patients around the world.
In the field of public health, the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 is conferred to Professor Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, Member of the Board of the Research Foundation for Microbial Disease, Osaka University, Japan and Professor Dr. Yu YongXin, Director Emeritus, First Department of Viral Vaccine, National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, People`s Republic of China. Professor Dr. Takahashi`s discovery of the varicella vaccine led to the worldwide use of the vaccine to prevent chicken pox, particularly millions of children from all over the world. Professor Dr. Yu`s research and development of SA 14-14-2 Japanese encephalitis (JE) have contributed to the prevention of the disease with no cure. His efforts have helped ensure that millions of patients in Asia would be spared death and disability from the disease.
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand will confer to the above names the Prince Mahidol Award 2008 on 28th January 2009 at 17.30 hours at the Chakri Throne Hall. On behalf of His Majesty the King, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will host the banquet in honour of the Prince Mahidol Awardees 2008 on the same day at Boromrajasathitmaholarn Throne Hall at 19.30 hours.
Two Nobel laureates received the Nobel Prize from the same research project that brought them the Prince Mahidol Award namely Dr. Barry Marshall, from Australia and Professor Harald zur Hausen from Germany. Professor Marshall, the 2001 Prince Mahidol Awardee in the Public Health, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 2005 for his discovery of a new type of bacteria called “Helicobacter pylori”. His findings transformed therapy of peptic ulcers from consumption of antacid H1 receptor or radical gastric surgery, to a short highly effective course of antibiotics. Professor Dr. Harald zur Hausen, the 2005 Prince Mahidol Awardee in Public Health, who is recently awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer.
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