The International Prize – Arrigo Recordati

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past editions

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January 31, 2026

2024 edition

Adam D. Durbin, M.D., PhD

Winner
Adam D. Durbin, M.D., PhD.

Research Area
Paediatric Oncology, Neuroblastoma

Affiliation
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Winning Project
Targeting EP300/CBP Control of Chemoresistance in Neuroblastoma.

Description
For his outstanding research project which aims to provide new potential therapeutic strategies for children with neuroblastoma. The 2024 edition was dedicated to the promotion and recognition of excellence in research on paediatric oncology, specifically neuroblastoma. At the 5th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOPE) held in Milan, the 11th edition of the International Prize for Scientific Research Arrigo Recordati was awarded to Dr. Adam Durbin, M.D., PhD., from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, US. The Prize recognises his work in providing new potential therapeutic strategies for children with neuroblastoma.

The Arrigo Recordati Prize has been crucial to allow us to advance our work in developing new strategies to control high-risk neuroblastoma. We believe that our work has identified a new understanding of this disease, and that it will form the basis for many future discoveries in this field. In such a way, we hope our work is able to drive meaningful change, to enhance the survival of children with this disease. We are grateful to the Arrigo Recordati Foundation for providing these important funds to propel our work faster, to bring new discoveries in this disease forward, with a goal of eradicating this disease.

Dr. Adam Durbin

2022 edition

Sabrina Chiloiro, M.D, PhD

Winner
Sabrina Chiloiro, M.D, PhD.

Research Area
Endocrinology, Pituitary Disorders

Affiliation
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.

Winning Project
The role of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in the prognosis and in the personalized target therapy of acromegaly: the ACRO-TIME study.

Description
For her innovative research project which aims to identify new biomarkers for the development of a targeted and personalized therapy of acromegaly.

It was a great honor for me to have received this prestigious award . I want to thank the organizers for the opportunity for young investigators to participate in the application for this research grant and for their support in the field of rare diseases.

Dr. Sabrina Chiloiro

2019 edition

Alberto Auricchio, M.D.

Winner
Alberto Auricchio, M.D.

Research Area
Rare/Orphan Disease Treatments

Affiliation
Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Naples, Italy.

Winning Project
Gene therapy of Stargardt disease with AAV intein vectors.

Description
The Prize was awarded to Professor Alberto Auricchio, Coordinator of the Molecular Therapy Program at TIGEM and Professor of Medical Genetics at «Federico II» University of Naples, on September 4 during the SSIEM Congress in Rotterdam. His project was dedicated to research on gene therapy for Stargardt disease—the most common inherited macular degeneration in humans—using AAV intein vectors. This research aims to potentially reduce the impact of this severe rare disease and provide needed therapies.

The research grant from the Arrigo Recordati Prize has been instrumental in advancing our research focused on providing new potential therapeutic strategies for patients with inherited blindness and bringing us closer to developing new treatments for this rare diseases. The financial support has truly been a game-changer for our project.

Dr. alberto auricchio

Prof Sandra Strauss, MD PhD FRCP

Sandra Strauss is Professor of Medical and Teenage Young Adult (TYA) Oncology and a Consultant Medical Oncologist. She specialises in the systemic treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcoma and leads the clinical service at University College London Hospital, part of the London Sarcoma Service, one of the largest sarcoma services in Europe.

Her academic post is based within University College London and is focused on translational and clinical research to develop novel therapies for sarcoma patients. She has over 15 years’ experience as a chief and principal investigator for international and national clinical trials. She chairs the executive committee of the EuroEwing consortium (EEC), a pan-European collaboration that has brought together clinicians, scientists and patient advocates to improve outcome for patients with Ewing sarcoma, conducting practice-changing clinical trials with focused translational research. She chairs the UK NCRI Sarcoma Clinical Studies Group Bone Subgroup and is the current sarcoma track chair of European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO).

She is an executive Committee member of FOSTER (Fight Osteosarcoma through European Research), a scientific committee member of SIOPE, the European Society of paediatric oncology, and ESMO rare cancer and sarcoma annual meeting.

She is an executive member of the Hibiscus Harmonization International Bone Sarcoma Consortium (HIBiSCus), a member of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC) consortium.

Dr. Alice L. Yu, M.D., Ph.D

Alice L. Yu, M.D., Ph.D. is an Academician of Academia Sinica in Taiwan. She has been a Distinguished Chair Professor of the Institute of Stem Cell & Translational Cancer Research at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital & Chang Gung University since 2013 and Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of California in San Diego.

From 2003 to May 2013, Dr. Yu served as a Distinguished Research Fellow and Associate Director at the Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, in Taiwan. Prior to this, she was the Chief of Pediatric Hematology Oncology at the University of California in San Diego. She has been a long-time member of the Children’s Oncology Group in the United States, serving on the Steering Committee of Neuroblastoma. She is also a member of various scientific committees and associations.

As a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy, Dr. Yu has taken an anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (Dinutuximab) from preclinical to phase III clinical trial, culminating in its FDA approval for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma in 2015. This marks the first immunotherapeutic agent to target carbohydrate antigen. Treatment with anti-GD2 has since become standard of care for high risk neuroblastoma. For another prevalent tumor-associated glycan, Globo H, her group has demonstrated the adverse impact of its expression on the clinical outcome of patients with hepatoma, cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer. She has also uncovered the roles of Globo H in cancer as an immune checkpoint molecule and an angiogenic factors, providing rationales for the development of Globo H-targeted immunotherapeutics.

She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advances in Neuroblastoma Research Association in 2025, Pediatric Oncology Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2020, Excellence in Technology Transfer Award from Federal Laboratory Consortium, USA in 2016, The 55th Academic Award from the Ministry of Education, The 19th Wang Min-Ning Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development Medical Science and Technology, National Health and Society, Year 2000 “Key to Life” Award from Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, USA, etc.

Prof. Robert J. Desnick

Dean for Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA.

Robert J. Desnick is Dean for Genetic and Genomic Medicine and Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

In 1977, he joined the Mount Sinai faculty as the Arthur J. and Nellie Z. Cohen Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics, and Chief of Medical and Molecular Genetics. From 1993-2011, he was the first Chairman of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences at Mount Sinai. In 2011 he became the Dean for Genetics and Genomic Medicine.

Dr. Desnick’s research interests include lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) and the inborn errors of heme biosynthesis, the porphyrias, and in particular, their treatment.

His research efforts led to the Federal Drugs Administration (FDA) – and European Medicine Agency (EMA) – approval of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Fabry disease (Fabrazyme) and on-going ERT clinical trials (FDA “Breakthrough” status) for Niemann- Pick B disease, both in partnership with Genzyme. In addition, he was a scientific founder of Amicus Therapeutics (NASDAQ; FOLD), which is developing oral pharmacologic chaperone therapy for Fabry disease (EMA-approved in 2016), Pompe disease, and other disorders. Currently, his laboratory is using gene editing technology to engineer gene therapy in the mouse model of Fabry disease with Sangamo Therapeutics.

Arrigo Recordati

Arrigo Recordati believed research was the most powerful asset for the pharmaceutical industry. He became head of the family business in 1951, at the age of 23, and transformed the family pharmaceutical laboratory employing 325 people into an international company listed since 1984 on the Italian Stock Exchange.

Arrigo Recordati’s remarkable life came to a premature end at the age of 71, in 1999.

Under his direction, in 1953 the company’s headquarters and pharmaceutical plant moved from Correggio, a small town in the Emilia region of Italy, to Milan, the capital of Italian business. During this time Arrigo Recordati provided the company with a stronger competitive advantage by updating its research facilities with advanced pharmacological laboratories.

In the 1950s and 60s, Arrigo Recordati relied on two strong beliefs: scientific research and internationalization. To maximize the results of Recordati research, he established subsidiaries in Brazil and Mexico. Arrigo Recordati also fostered a close relationship with the United States, signing among other things a strategic partnership agreement with Syntex Corporation (acquired by Roche Corporation in 1990) – at that time a company involved in cutting-edge research on the synthesis of steroid hormones.

Arrigo Recordati strongly believed in the power of scientific research to drive the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and provide products beneficial to public health and individual well-being. Efloxate (1955), a coronary vasodilator for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, was the first compound to originate from Recordati’s research laboratories during Arrigo Recordati’s leadership. Other original molecules developed and marketed during his leadership include: dimefline (1958), a respiratory analeptic, flavoxate (1957), a urinary antispasmodic, tibezonium iodide (1971), an oral antiseptic, fenticonazole (1978), an antimycotic and lercanidipine (1984), a calcium channel blocker for the treatment of hypertension. In particular, flavoxate was the first original New Chemical Entity developed by an Italian company to be approved by FDA (Federal Drug Administration) in the United States.

Arrigo Recordati also believed that even small companies – if managed with vigor and imagination – can compete effectively in the pharmaceutical arena. In 1984 Recordati was listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, completing its transformation from a small, family-run operation to a modern, professional, publicly listed company.

After 48 years of intense and challenging leadership, Arrigo Recordati passed away, leaving a solid, international business projected into the future.