Professor Sir Mene Pangalos wins Lifetime Achievement Award at the BIA’s Gala Dinner

Professor Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice-President (retiring) of BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, has received the prestigious BioIndustry Association (BIA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the organisation’s annual gala dinner. This award is based on nominations from the BIA Board and recognises Mene's transformative impact on AstraZeneca, the UK life sciences sector and people living with disease. Mene led AstraZeneca's pharmaceutical discovery and early development through a key period of growth and innovation and was a driving force for scientific excellence and collaboration. Joining the company in 2010, Mene transformed AstraZeneca’s approach to R&D, fostering deeper academic and industry partnerships, pioneering Open Innovation programmes, and building a culture that values truth-seeking in science. Mene's passion extends beyond his leadership role. He retains a keen interest in neuroscience, drug discovery, mentoring the next generation of scientists and sharing his expertise with over 150 peer-reviewed publications.

His influence extends far beyond AstraZeneca. Mene is a leading figure in UK science, holding prestigious positions on boards such as The Francis Crick Institute, Cambridge University's Judge Business School, and Absci Corp. His dedication to fostering collaboration and innovation is evident from roles on the Medical Research Council, co-chairing the Life Sciences Council's Expert Group, and sitting on the UK Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Implementation Board.

Mene's contributions to medical science have been widely recognized. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Society of Biology, and Clare Hall – University of Cambridge. In 2019, he was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen for his exceptional service to UK science and also received the 2019 Prix Galien Medal, Greece for his scientific research.

An important part of this legacy is AstraZeneca’s new R&D Discovery Centre (DISC) in Cambridge. This state-of-the-art facility, which is the largest research facility in the UK, was spearheaded by Mene and embodies his vision for collaborative scientific innovation – and is poised to play a crucial role in the future success of AstraZeneca and of the UK life science industry.

Steve Bates OBE, BIA’s CEO said: “Throughout his career Mene has championed a broad ecosystem approach to translating bioscience for patient benefit – from his time at university in London to the top of RD at a global biopharmaceutical company. He has formed key collaborations between academia and companies, large and small, in the UK and beyond, and his bold sector leadership was ably demonstrated during the pandemic.”

Professor Sir Mene Pangalos said: “I would like to express my immense gratitude for this great honour. This award really is a recognition of the contributions of all the people and teams I have worked with throughout my career. True innovation in medicine is only possible when we work together, towards a common goal: it's only thanks to the shared commitment of our scientists, our dedicated healthcare workers, and especially our patients and their families – that we can turn science into the life-changing new medicines for those who need them most.

The BIA gala delivered a night of celebration and collaboration, culminating in the launch of its Charity partnership with RNID with a fundraising and awareness activity for the 12 million people in the UK affected by deafness, hearing loss, or tinnitus. The coveted evening was attended by the brightest minds in UK biotech, the life science sector and business: industry leaders, member companies, and Andrew Griffith, Minister of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology.

Note to editors.

For more information, contact Alina O’Keeffe, Associate Director, Marketing and Communications, BIA on [email protected].

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