The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Names Winners of the 2022 Charles A. Sanders, M.D., Partnership Award

NORTH BETHESDA, MD, October 13, 2022 — The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) will honor Amgen and Dr. Francis Collins as recipients of the 2022 Charles A. Sanders, M.D., Partnership Award at its 10th Annual Awards Ceremony on October 19, 2022. This Award recognizes persons and/or organizations that have made significant contributions to the FNIH’s work in support of the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This recognition is unique and particularly meaningful because all nominations are made by the FNIH staff.

Dr. Francis Collins robustly supported the mission of the FNIH during his tenure as NIH Director, advancing a remarkable list of initiatives. His work as Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute expanded the promise of DNA in medical research, enabling the FNIH’s first major partnership with the institute and the Genetic Association Information Network to create a significant resource for genetic researchers.

Dr. Collins helped establish the NIH National Center on Advancing Translational Sciences, providing a venue for precompetitive public-private collaborations managed by the FNIH to speed the transformation of basic research into patient therapeutics. Launched with his leadership in 2014, the Accelerating Medicines Partnership program has become a powerful collaboration among the NIH, the FDA, and public and private organizations. The Cancer Moonshot initiative, championed by Dr. Collins, enabled the FNIH-managed Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies.

Dr. Collins also deftly managed two of the largest crises challenging human health via FNIH partnerships. The HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) initiative established an aggressive, inter-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid crisis. ACTIV (Accelerating Covid-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines) met its goal of formulating safe and effective therapeutics and vaccines for Covid patients.

Over many years, Amgen’s partnership with FNIH has had a strong impact on several initiatives, from clinical trials to mentorships to educational programs. Amgen has provided generous financial and scientific support to the FNIH’s research programs in cancer, immunotherapy, cardiometabolic disease, and precision medicine. Amgen has played a major role in the annual FNIH Cancer Scientific Symposium and in supporting major projects for lung cancer and lymphoma, precision analysis of clinical trial results, and acceleration of cancer therapies. Outside of oncology, Amgen is a valued partner in Accelerating Medicines Partnership® programs in Heart Failure and in Common Metabolic Diseases.

Since 2009, Amgen has been a contributing member of the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium and has supported research in non-invasive biomarkers of metabolic liver disease. Additionally, Amgen and its Foundation have supported the mentorship of 125 NIH scholars since 2015 through the FNIH-NIH.

Amgen Scholars program, and promoted women’s health through the Vivian W. Pinn Symposium.  Amgen Chairman and CEO Mr. Robert A. Bradway will accept the award for the company.

The FNIH’s partnerships bring together the public and private sectors to advance groundbreaking biomedical research,” said Julie L. Gerberding, MD, CEO of the FNIH. “Dr. Francis Collins and Amgen represent the best of our partners interested in working collaboratively to improve the lives of patients.”

The Charles A. Sanders, M.D., Partnership Award is named for the former Chairman of the FNIH Board of Directors. This award, along with the Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences and the Trailblazer Prize for Clinician Scientists, will be presented at the Ceremony, which starts at 7 PM on October 19. The 2022 Awards Ceremony recognizes the generous support of our Visionary Sponsors: Deloitte; Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, and David Rose; Novalis LifeSciences; Gilbert S. Omenn, MD, PhD, and Martha A. Darling; and Fred and Donna Seigel. For more information on the Awards Ceremony, click here. For more information about the Partnership Award, click here.

About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health creates and manages alliances with public and private institutions to support the NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency. The FNIH works with its partners to accelerate biomedical advances and therapies targeting diseases in the United States and across the globe. The FNIH organizes and administers research projects; supports education and training of new researchers; and holds educational events focused on areas of unmet medical need worldwide. Established by Congress in 1990, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information about the FNIH, please visit fnih.org.

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