Alumni UdL delivers the 2024 Alfons de Borja Award to César Sanz: Messenger RNA to develop drugs, the focus of his conference
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Alumni UdL delivers the 2024 Alfons de Borja Award to César Sanz
Messenger RNA to develop drugs, the focus of his conference
On Tuesday, the Vice President of Medical Affairs for Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Canada (EMAC) of the pharmaceutical company Moderna, César Sanz Rodríguez, received the 2024 Alfons de Borja Award granted by Alumni UdL, the Alumni Association of the University of Lleida. In a conference entitled “El ‘software de la vida’ – cómo transformar el desarrollo de medicamentos” (The ‘software of life’ – how to transform drug development), the PhD in Medicine from the UdL, whose thesis dealt with molecular biology, spoke about the potential of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) to develop new drugs and vaccines, such as the one they created for COVID-19.
Moderna has been working with this technique for ten years. Sanz explained how mRNA, an information molecule that encodes proteins, cannot be used directly and must be formulated into lipid nanoparticles, of fat. The company is currently developing potential mRNA drugs that it says could help people with cancer or metabolic diseases. One of its projects is to achieve individualized neoantigen therapy, in other words, a personalized vaccine against cancer.
The award ceremony took place in Víctor Siurana Hall, in the Rectorate. The Alfons de Borja Award —sponsored by the University of Lleida, Segre and Banco Santander— consists of the sculpture El conocimiento, created specifically by the Lleida-based Argentine artist Miguel Ángel González, and a watercolour painted by Joaquín Ureña live during the event. This year marks its thirteenth edition.
Sanz, a native of Barbastro, also recalled everything he learned at the UdL Faculty of Medicine, for instance “curiosity to explore new things and always thinking about present and future patients”.
The Alfons de Borja Award recognizes people or institutions whose work has contributed to the human and social development of their community from an economic, political, environmental, cultural or other point of view and whose actions have been governed by the values of equality, justice, rigour and excellence that inspire the University.
The award was delivered on 18 June, at 6 pm, in the Rectorate of the University of Lleida. The award is sponsored by the University of Lleida, Segre and Banco Santander.
[English version. The news is translated from Catalan]
Information related to the award winner and the 13th edition of the Alfons de Borja Award
News item published in the newspaper Segre, sponsor, concerning the award ceremony (18/06/2024): A doctor from Lleida in the fight against covid and cancer- News item on the UdL website of the announcement of the winner of the 13th Alfons de Borja Award: A vice president of Moderna Pharmaceuticals, 2024 Alfons de Borja Award Alumni UdL recognizes César Sanz Rodríguez, a PhD from the University of Lleida
- Purpose and editions of the Alfons de Borja Award: web