MSD Polska receives prestigious award for rare disease therapy

Here you will find all the materials from the 21st Health Market Forum

• Patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome require constant, multi-specialty care and frequent surgical interventions.
• The disease often affects many family members
• For the therapy for patients with VHL, MSD Polska was awarded the "Wprost Innovator 2025" award in the "Pharmacy" category.

Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome is a genetic disorder that leads to the development of numerous tumors and cysts in multiple organs—from the brain and retina, through the spinal cord, to the kidneys and pancreas. Symptoms can appear at a young age, and the disease accompanies patients throughout their lives.

Each case of VHL syndrome is different, but the common denominator is the need for ongoing, multidisciplinary care and frequent surgical interventions . Patients often undergo multiple surgeries to remove subsequent cancerous lesions, which carries the risk of complications and loss of function.

The disease doesn't just affect an individual – due to the hereditary nature of VHL, several people in a single family can be affected simultaneously. Sometimes, a parent struggling with their own symptoms is also the caregiver for a sick child. This makes VHL a tragedy for entire families, burdening them not only physically but also psychologically and socially.

"A single cancer diagnosis can be life-changing. Patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome face this diagnosis many times throughout their lives. Science has the power to transform even the most difficult stories, and this is precisely what defines our mission at MSD," said Justin Gandy , Managing Director of MSD Poland.

Award-Winning Innovations

The "Wprost Innovator" awards have been presented since 2011 to companies that introduce groundbreaking solutions to the market in various sectors of the economy. Since 2014, the autonomous Innovation Research study has been the basis for recognizing those who invest in innovation. Awards will be given to entrepreneurs and innovators in more than a dozen categories, including in the field of medicine.

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