10th July 2000, Brussels -- Yesterday Dr Paul Janssen received the CINP*- Pfizer Pioneers in Psychopharmacology Award for his outstanding work in revolutionising the lives of millions of patients with psychiatric illnesses around the world.
Presenting the award, Professor Helmut Beckmann, President of the CINP explained "We honour and celebrate Dr Paul Janssen's historic contribution to the development of therapies for patients with mental illnesses. He, and others like him, allowed patients around the world to recover hope and attain a quality of live that they would otherwise be denied."
Dr Paul was born in 1926, the son of a Flemish general practitioner, and grew up in an era without many effective treatments for even the most common of diseases. In 1953 he established Janssen Pharmaceutica which today has developed more than 75 compounds worldwide, four of which are recognised by the World Health Organisation as essential drugs.
His development of HALDOL® (haloperidol) in 1958 quickly revolutionised the treatment of psychosis and allowed patients to be returned from psychiatric hospitals into the community. In 1993, RISPERDAL® (risperidone), a new generation antipsychotic, was introduced, and is now the first choice antipsychotic around the world and recently became the most prescribed atypical antipsychotic in the USA.
"Psychiatry today is indebted to Dr Paul Janssen's vital contributions. He, in collaboration with many others, has changed the boundaries of medical knowledge and empowered the global medical community with effective medicines that have changed lives for the better around the globe" continued Professor Beckmann.
Dr Paul Janssen said "This is a great honour and I am proud to accept this award. It is particularly special to be recognised in my own country in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen Fabiola of Belgium. I would like to also thank my colleagues from around the world, many of whom are here today, for their efforts which have led us collectively to change the face of modern psychiatry."
Janssen Pharmaceutica is located in Beerse, Belgium. Risperdal is marketed globally by Janssen-Cilag, and in partnership with NV Organon in the European Union (except for Italy, Spain and Finland, where it is marketed by Janssen-Cilag only), Norway, Switzerland, Brazil and Argentina.
Notes for editors
- *The Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) is an international professional medical organisation specialising in psychiatry and the central nervous system. The XXIInd CINP Congress is one of the most important events in the psychiatic calendar attracting eminent specialist from around the world.
- The CINP-Pfizer Pioneers in Psychopharmacology is given to individuals to honour those who have made major to the field as it has developed.
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