The jury of the Broermann Medical Innovation Award is honoring Dr. Carl June of the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Michel Sadelain of Columbia University for their groundbreaking research in CAR-T cell therapy. The award is being presented for the first time this year. With prize money of 1 million euros, it is among the most highly endowed awards for medical research worldwide.
A Revolution in Cancer Therapy
June and Sadelain are recognized for their pioneering roles in the genetic modification of T cells, enabling them to identify, attack and destroy cancer cells. They use synthetic receptors, called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), which allow T cells to target and kill cancer cells. CAR-T cell therapies have achieved remarkable success in treating cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. For other cancers, the approach remains in the experimental phase.
June, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, said:"I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Broermann Medical Innovation Award together with my esteemed colleague Michel Sadelain. This award not only recognizes our decades of research but also the transformative potential of CAR-T cell therapy for cancer patients worldwide."
Sadelain, director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy, said: "Receiving the Broermann Medical Innovation Award is an extraordinary honor and recognition of the revolutionary power of CAR-T cell therapy. Together with Carl June, we have worked to turn the immune system into a precise weapon against cancer. Our work reflects what the Broermann Award stands for: medical breakthroughs that fundamentally change patients’ lives. It fills me with profound gratitude to know that our research helps usher in a new era of cancer treatment and creates hope for patients once considered incurable."
CAR-T cell therapy has achieved remarkable success rates in treating cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Through their visionary research, Sadelain and June have ushered in a completely new era in cancer treatment.
Selection Process by Renowned Jury
Laureates of the Broermann Medical Innovation Award are selected by a scientific jury of nine senior members of leading institutions: Prof. Dr. Werner Seeger (chair of the award), Prof. Dr. Karsten Krüger (Justus Liebig University Giessen), Prof. Dr. Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding (University of Marburg), Prof. Dr. Britta Siegmund (German Research Foundation), Prof. Dr. Stefan Offermanns (Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research), Prof. Dr. Otmar Wiestler (Helmholtz Association), Prof. Dr. Dr. Gerd Geißlinger (Fraunhofer Institute for Clinical Pharmacology), Prof. Dr. Martina Brockmeier (Leibniz Association) and Dr. Jan Liersch (Broermann Holding GmbH). Supported by international reviewers, the committee evaluates nominations in a multi-stage process based on strict selection criteria to ensure scientific quality and independence.
About the Laureates
Carl June was born in Denver in 1953. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed postdoctoral training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Following a research career with the U.S. Navy, he founded the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the University of Pennsylvania in 1999. In 2012, he received the Richard W. Vague Professorship.
Michel Sadelain was born in Paris in 1960. He received his medical degree from the University of Paris in 1984 and his doctorate from the University of Alberta in 1989, followed by postdoctoral research at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1994, he joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. In 2024, he became director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy.
Both scientists have received numerous honors for their contributions to cancer therapy.
About the Broermann Medical Innovation Award
The Broermann Medical Innovation Award was established in 2024 by Dr. Bernard große Broermann, founder of the Asklepios Kliniken Group. Throughout his career, große Broermann pursued the vision of building an innovative health care company that delivers lasting value to patients. Under his leadership, Asklepios set new standards in medical innovation, investing in advanced technologies and digital solutions to improve care.
The award continues his vision by recognizing pioneering medical achievements. With a prize of 1 million euros, it is presented at the Hessian State Chancellery in Wiesbaden by Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein.
For more information, visit www.broermann-award.org.
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