Reichstein Medaille
The awarding of the Reichstein Medal aims to enhance public awareness and recognition of the pharmaceutical sciences. It commemorates the achievements of Swiss chemist and Nobel laureate Tadeus Reichstein, who, in 1932, developed the synthesis of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thereby enabling its industrial production.
Awardees
The Reichstein Medal is awarded by the SAPhS to internationally recognized individuals who have made outstanding contributions—either directly or indirectly—to the advancement of pharmaceutical sciences in the fields of research, education, and practice.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Katalin Karikò
The SAPhS is proud to award the Reichstein Medal to Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Katalin Karikó in recognition of her exceptional contributions to the development of mRNA technology. For many years, this technology was regarded as unsuitable for applications in drug and vaccine development. It is due to the unwavering dedication, scientific rigor, and perseverance of pioneers such as Professor Karikó, who pursued this path despite considerable resistance, that mRNA-based vaccines have become a transformative reality in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023 she was awarded the Nobel Prize together with Drew Weissman.
2021

Prof. Dr. Gerd Volkers
Prof. Gerd Folkers received this prestigious award in recognition of his outstanding contributions as a scientist and university lecturer, as well as for his significant role in shaping pharmaceutical education at Swiss universities. He was a founding member and the first president of the Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SGPhW). From 2005 to 2015 he served as the director of the Collegium Helveticum, an institute jointly supported by ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, dedicated to exploring new scientific perspectives through interdisciplinary processes.
2014

Jean-Pierre Lorent
For the first time, the Reichstein medal has been awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical services. J.-P. Lorent devoted himself to realizing the vision of the founders of the Swiss Toxicological Information Center, which is now internationally recognized for providing free toxicological information to the public; an achievement that has contributed to saving countless lives since its inception. The excellent reputation of the Tox Center today is due in large part to the modest, yet ystematic and tireless efforts of J.-P. Lorent.
2005

Werner Glatt
Werner Glatt, founder and honorary president of the Glatt Group, is recognized for his outstanding achievements as an entrepreneur and for his dedicated collaboration with universities in advancing pharmaceutical sciences.
2002

Prof. em. Dr. Richard Ernst
Prof. em. Dr. Richard R. Ernst was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991 for his groundbreaking advancements in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which led to the development of a powerful diagnostic tool in medicine. After earning his Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in 1962, he spent five years conducting research in California and returned to Zurich 1972, where he was appointed full professor in 1976.
2000

Prof. Dr. Rolf Zinkernagel
Prof. em. Dr. Rolf Martin Zinkernagel, former professor of experimental immunology at the University of Zurich and director of the Institute of Experimental Immunology, was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with Australian immunologist Peter Doherty. Their groundbreaking discovery of how the immune system recognizes virus-infected cells is considered a landmark in clinical medicine and has paved the way for the development of innovative vaccines within the pharmaceutical sciences.
1997

Prof. em. Dr. William I. Higuchi
Prof. Dr. William I. Higuchi is a distinguished professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Utah. He has supervised over 100 Ph.D. students and is internationally renowned for his extensive scientific contributions, having authored more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has also served as editor of the “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” and is widely recognized for his leading role in the field of drug delivery. Prof. Higuchi is especially esteemed for his rigorous and pioneering work in developing mechanistic models of biologically relevant processes, which have had a lasting impact on pharmaceutical science.
1994
Tadaeus Reichstein
From 1938 to 1950, Tadeus Reichstein was head of the Institute of Pharmacy, and from 1946 to 1960, he led the Institute of Organic Chemistry, both at the University of Basel.
Throughout his scientific career, he received numerous honors and awards. In 1950, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine, which he shared with American scientists Edward C. Kendall and Philip S. Hench, for the discoveries relating to the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure and biological effects.
Tadeus Reichstein passed away on August 1, 1996, shortly after his 99th birthday.
In an article published by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on July 23, 1997, marking the 100th anniversary of Tadeus Reichstein’s birth, reference was made to an interview in which he emphasized that the greatest honors he had ever received in Switzerland were the award of the Marcel Benoist Prize in 1948 and the establishment of the Reichstein Medal for outstanding contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences by the Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SGPhW), the predecessor of the SAPhS.
Fellows
The Swiss Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SGPhW, renamed in 2014 as the Swiss Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SAPhS)) has conferred the title of “Fellow” upon the following individuals in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the advancement of pharmaceutical sciences:
Prof. Dr. Marie-Paule Schneider Voirol
For your substantial contribution to the pharmaceutical sciences, in particular for your research and education in the fields of
therapeutic compliance and inter-professional cooperation.
Martine Ruggli
Pharmacist, current President of pharmaSuisse, is honoured for her invaluable and pioneering contributions to the field of public pharmacy, to the development of innovative practices and interprofessional collaboration, and her dedication and commitment to advance our profession to be recognized as a crucial player in the primary healthcare system
Dr. Stephan Buchmann
Pharmacist, former president of GSIA, is honored for fostering industrial pharmacy, his merits in the pharmaceutical industry, his generous support of the Swiss Pharma Science Day for many years and the constant and fruitful collaboration with the Swiss Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Frédéric Zwahlen
Biochemist, Vice- and Senior President at Vifor Pharma Fribourg, President of GSIA, is honored for his generous support of the Swiss Pharma Science Day during many years, the constant and fruitful collaboration with the Swiss Academy of Pharmaceutcal Sciences, and his ongoing interest in Pharmacy education
Prof. Dr. Kurt Hostettmann
For his merits and efforts in fostering pharmaceutical sciences in research and education, particularly pharmacognosy and phytochemistry
Prof. Dr. Verena Schröder
For your merits and efforts to re-establish and fully upgrade the Pharmacy studies at the University of Bern
Dr. med. h.c. Uwe E. Jocham
For your merits and efforts in biotechnological enterpreneurship, translational medicine and support of pharmaceutical education and research
Prof. Dr. Christoph R. Meier
For your merits and efforts in Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy as well as Pharmacoepidemiology
Prof. Dr. Christian Leumann
For your merits and efforts to re-establish and fully upgrade the Pharmacy studies at the University of Bern
Prof. Dr. Muriel Cuendet
For your merits and efforts in the field of drug discovery from natural sources
Philipp Tschopp
For your merits as organizer of the Pharma Lunch and SAPhS senate's board member
Dr. Benoîte Käser
For your merits as SAPhS senate‘s board member
Prof. Dr. Georgios Imanidis
For your merits in Pharmaceutical Technology and as SAPhS senate‘s board member
Prof. Dr. Beat Ernst
For your merits in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and outstanding research in the field of carbohydrates
Prof. Dr. Jörg Huwyler
For his merits in Science and Education of Pharmaceutical Technology
Prof. Dr. Serge Rudaz
For your merits in Pharmaceutical Analytics and achievements in the curriculum reform
Dr. Astrid Czock
For her merits as head of „Science, Education and Quality"
Prof. Dr. Beat Meier
For your achievements in Phytochemistry, Phytopharmacy and Phytotherapy
in education, research and industry
Prof. Dr. Hans Leuenberger
For your advancing Pharmaceutical Sciences in Switzerland, your contributions in the areas of Physical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy and your efforts to establish and develop the SSPhS and SAPhS
Prof. Dr. Kurt Hersberger
For your contributions to the field of Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Care and Drug Safety in Switzerland
Dr. Colette Andrée
For her contributions in patient-oriented pharmacy in multidisciplinary projects in the health care system to develop the pharmaceutical sciences and education and for her active role in SSPhS and SAPhS
Gründungsjahr SAPhW
Prof. Dr. Ursula Von Mandach
For your merits in establishing and promoting research and education in the field of Perinatal Pharmacology
Prof. Dr. Bruno Gander
For your merits in establishing and promoting research and education in the fields of Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials
Prof. Dr. Jean-Luc Veuthey
For your merits in pharmaceutical research and teaching, specifically in analytical chemistry, as well as in representing Pharmaceutical Sciences nationally and internationally
Dominique Jordan
For your merits in the formation and continuing education of pharmacists, such as the FPH accrediation, your socio-economic and political contributions to the public health system and your support to establish and develop the SSPhS and SAPhS
Dr. Felix Wüst
For your persistent efforts and dedication to promote the pharmaceutical sciences in Switzerland and acting as outstanding banner-bearer for the benefits of the SSPhS and SAPhS
Prof. Dr. Matthias Hamburger
For your persistent efforts as head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, to implement and optimize the pharmacy curriculum according to Bologna and your outstanding research achievements in industry and Swiss as well as foreign universities in the field of Pharmaceutical Biology
PD Dr. Hans W. Schmid
For promoting entrepreneurship and industry-university cooperations
Prof. Dr. Gerrit Borchard
For your substantial scientific contributions to Biopharmaceutics in academia and industry as well as your outstanding engagement allowing to realize and consolidate the Swiss Pharma Science Day
Prof. Dr. Stefan Mühlebach
For his substantial and continuing contributions to hospital pharmacy and Swiss Pharmacopoeia in academia (University of Basel), practice (Kantonsspital Aarau) and administration (Swissmedic)
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Honegger
For his outstanding engagement in continuing education of pharmacists and physicans, his great efforts to keep the first two pharmaceutical study years at the Universities of Bern and Fribourg and the planning of the derogation for the new Pharmacy Curriculum, respectively
Prof. Dr. Michel Baron
Ecole des Mines Albi-Carmaux
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Brenneisen
Universität Bern
Dr. Michel Buchmann
pharmaSuisse, Bern
Prof. Dr. Isidoro Caraballo
University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain
Prof. Dr. Eric Doelker
University of Geneva
Prof. Dr. Gerd Folkers
ETH Zürich
Michael Flück
Armeeapotheke, Ittigen
Dr. Bruno Galli
Novartis Pharma AG, Basel
Prof. Dr. Theodor W. Güntert
Universität Basel; F. Hofmann-La Roche, Basel
Prof. Dr. Robert Gurny
University of Geneva
Prof. Dr. Ajaz S. Hussain
Sandoz Ltd., Princeton, USA
Prof. Dr. Yoshiaki Kawashima
Aichin Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan
PD Dr. Stephan Marrer
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel
Prof. Dr. Natalia V. Menshutina
D. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Moscow, Russland
Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Merkle
ETH Zürich
PD Dr. Marcel Mesnil
pharmaSuisse, Bern
Dr. Christine Moll
Topnova GmbH, Münchenstein
Dr. Heinz Moll
Armeeapotheke, Ittigen
Dr. Claudia Reinke
MedSciences, Basel
Prof. Dr. Otto Sticher
ETH Zürich
Dr. Erich Sturzenegger
Novartis Pharma AG, Basel
Prof. Dr. Heidi Wunderli-Allenspach
ETH Zürich
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