The Spanish Association of Orphan and Ultra-Orphan Drug Laboratories (AELMHU) has opened the application period for the eighth edition of its awards, which aim to promote awareness and visibility of rare diseases and orphan drugs.
"Each edition of our awards shows that the rare disease community is making progress thanks to the commitment of many individuals and organizations who work with tremendous dedication. For AELMHU, recognizing this effort is both a responsibility and an incentive to continue promoting initiatives that raise awareness of these diseases and the talent behind each project,"said Beatriz Perales, president of AELMHU.
Since their first edition in 2017, the AELMHU Awards have established themselves as the benchmark awards in the field of rare diseases, recognizing the work of professionals, patient associations, healthcare organizations, and researchers who contribute to improving the approach, awareness, and scientific knowledge of these pathologies.
Over the years, awards have been given to key institutions and figures in the sector, such as María Luz Couce, Julio Sánchez-Fierro, Ángel Carracedo, Lluís Montoliu, the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona, and the Biomedical Research Network Center for Rare Diseases (CIBERER), among others, reflecting the diversity, talent, and strength of the ecosystem working on rare diseases.
In this eighth edition, the award categories will be:
- “Best healthcare project on rare diseases.”
- “Best professional research career in the field of rare diseases.”
- “Best project for raising awareness and/or disseminating information about rare diseases.”
- “Best work in communication, dissemination, and/or awareness-raising about rare diseases.”
- “AELMHU 2026 Honorary Award for his work and contribution to improving the lives of people with rare diseases.”
An external, independent jury, made up of renowned professionals in the fields of rare disease research, health, and communication, will be responsible for evaluating the entries and deciding, by vote, on the winning projects in the four main categories.
Each of these four awards will come with a prize of €3,000, which will be donated in full to a research organization or rare disease patient association chosen by the winner. The Honorary Award, which does not come with a cash prize, will be awarded directly by the members of AELMHU in recognition of a particularly significant career in support of people living with these diseases.
Applications may be submitted from March 10 to May 20, 2026. The jury's decision will be announced in September, and the awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Madrid.
All information regarding participation requirements and the complete rules for the awards can be found on the AELMHU website.
