The Spanish Association of Orphan and Ultra-Orphan Drug Laboratories (AELMHU) has opened the call for nominations for the VIII edition of its awards, awards that seek to promote knowledge, awareness and research in the field of rare diseases and orphan drugs.
These awards distinguish the work of healthcare professionals, researchers, patient associations, entities and communication initiatives that contribute to improving the clinical and social approach to these pathologies, as well as to increasing their visibility.
“Each edition of our awards demonstrates that the rare disease community advances thanks to the commitment of many people and organizations that work with enormous dedication. For AELMHU, being able to recognize that effort is a responsibility and, at the same time, an incentive to continue promoting initiatives that give visibility to these pathologies and to the talent behind each project,” stated Beatriz Perales, president of AELMHU.
Some awards established in the field of rare diseases
Since its first edition, held in 2017, the AELMHU Awards have consolidated as a reference in the recognition of initiatives linked to rare diseases in Spain.
Throughout these years, institutions and relevant figures in the sector have been distinguished, among them María Luz Couce, Julio Sánchez-Fierro, Ángel Carracedo, Lluís Montoliu, the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu de Barcelona or the Biomedical Research Centre in Rare Diseases (CIBERER), among others.
The objective of these awards is to highlight the work of the healthcare, scientific, and social ecosystem that drives advances in the diagnosis, research, and treatment of these rare pathologies.
Categories of the AELMHU 2026 awards
In this eighth edition, projects and careers will be recognized in five categories:
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Best care project on rare diseases.
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Best professional research career in the field of rare diseases.
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Best dissemination and/or awareness project on rare diseases.
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Best communication, dissemination and/or awareness work on rare diseases.
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AELMHU 2026 honorary award for its contribution to improving the lives of people with rare diseases.
An external and independent jury, formed by professionals of recognized prestige in research, health, and communication, will evaluate the candidacies and decide the winning projects in the four main categories.
Each of these awards has an economic endowment of 3,000 euros, which must be allocated entirely to a research entity or an association of patients with rare diseases chosen by the award recipient.
The Honorary Award, which does not include financial endowment, will be granted directly by the associates of AELMHU as recognition for a particularly relevant career in favor of people living with these pathologies.
Deadline for candidacies and award ceremony
Applications can be submitted until May 20, 2026. The jury's decision will be announced in September 2026, while the awards ceremony will be held later at an event that will take place in Madrid.
about aelmhu
AELMHU is a non-profit association that groups pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies committed to the research, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases.
The entity also acts as an interlocutor before society, the scientific community, and health and political institutions in everything related to orphan, ultra-orphan medicines, and other treatments aimed at infrequent pathologies.
Among its associates are companies such as Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Diseases, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, AOP Health, Argenx, Ascendis Pharma, Avanzanite Bioscience, Biocryst, Biogen, BioMarin, Chiesi, CSL Behring, Esteve, Grupo Italfarmaco, Immunocore, Insmed, Ipsen, Kyowa Kirin, Lundbeck, Novartis, Pharma&, PTC Therapeutics, Sanofi, Sobi, Takeda, UCB, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical and Vertex.