The papillomavirus vaccine has brought about “a revolution in the world of oncology,” but above all, it saves the lives of thousands of women every year worldwide. And the two researchers who contributed most to its development, Americans Douglas Lowy and John Schiller, have won the 2026 Pezcoller–AACR Award, the most prestigious accolade in the world for the fight against cancer.
“Lowy and Schiller achieved what for decades seemed an unattainable goal: the first effective vaccine against cancer,” explained Enzo Galligioni, president of the Pezcoller Foundation, “thereby changing the history of medicine. They did not just discover a biological mechanism; they handed humanity a concrete tool that is saving thousands of lives each year, making cancer prevention a global and tangible reality.”
