San Diego-based biotech pioneer shortlisted for the Prix Galien – having shown tremendous potential to improve human health

SAN DIEGO , Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BioSapien, the pioneering biotech company, is delighted to announce it has been nominated by The Galien Foundation – the premier global institution dedicated to honoring innovators in life sciences – in the “Best Startup” category, for the 20th Prix Galien USA Awards.

The Prix Galien USA Awards are widely regarded as one of the life sciences’ most prestigious recognitions of innovation, celebrating companies, and technologies with the potential to meaningfully advance human health. Nominees are selected by Awards Committees of leading biomedical scientists, industry executives and Nobel laureates; from thousands of applications. Awards Committee members for the “Best Startup” category come from companies such as: Merck; UCB; Pfizer; Johnson & Johnson; Janssen; Avon; Alexandria and Sanofi.

BioSapien’s nomination comes at a pivotal stage in the Company’s development, as its revolutionary cancer platform – MediChip™ – moves toward first-in-human dosing and BioSapien transitions from platform development into clinical validation.

Winners will be announced during the 20th Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony on October 29th, 2026, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Dr. Khatija Ali, CEO and Founder of BioSapien, said:

“We are deeply honored that BioSapien has been nominated in the Best Startup category for the Prix Galien USA Awards. Science matters most when it touches lives, and our mission is to revolutionise how chemotherapy is delivered; to increase the quality of life during treatment and potentially prevent life-altering surgeries. We are proud to stand alongside the other great innovators in our category and all the clinical pioneers who have come before us.”

MediChip™ is a drug delivery, 3D-printed, slow-release delivery platform attachable to any tissue with minimal systemic side effects. Local delivery means more of the drug stays in the tumor microenvironment (i.e., where the tumor is located) to aid more efficient oncology, such as downsized tumors, alleviate symptoms and prevent potentially life-altering surgeries. Local delivery also requires fewer quantities of drugs to be used while maintaining safety.

BioSapien is initially developing its platform for clinical trials in colorectal cancer patients, with scope to branch out to other cancers (pancreatic, lung), and non-cancer indications. Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in men, the third most common cancer in women after breast and thyroid cancer, and the third most common cancer in both men and women.

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Notes to Editors

About BioSapien

BioSapien is the pioneering biotech company behind MediChip™, a revolutionary localised cancer treatment platform, attachable to any tissue with minimal systemic side effects. Local delivery means more of the drug stays in the tumor microenvironment.

BioSapien is set to commence imminent Phase I clinical trials for MediChip™ in the UAE – concentrating initially on colorectal cancer patients.

About The Galien Foundation

The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes, and rewards excellence in scientific innovation to improve human health. Its vision is to serve as a catalyst for the development of the next generation of treatments and technologies that will transform medical practice and save lives.

Established in Paris in 1970 by Roland Mehl in honor of Galen, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology, the Prix Galien is widely regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.

Today, the Prix Galien operates through 16 chapters spanning over 75 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Expansion is currently underway in China, Singapore, and Australia.

In 2025, the Foundation launched the inaugural Prix Galien Bridges Forum and Awards Ceremony at the Nobel Forum in Stockholm, spanning Northern and Southern Europe, Israel, and the Middle East, and the first-ever Patient Summit for Prix Galien USA, reinforcing its commitment to science without borders.

The Nobel Prize and the Prix Galien share a common birthplace in Paris, where Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament in 1895. However, while the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognizes up to three individuals for specific discoveries, the Prix Galien honors the collaborative spirit and multidisciplinary progress that define modern biopharmaceutical innovation.