Friedrich-Stolz Award from the GDCh Division of Medicinal Chemistry

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At the FiMC 2025 in Erlangen, Prof. Dr. Stefan Laufer was awarded the Friedrich-Stolz Award 2025 in recognition of his lifetime scientific achievements in the field of pharmaceutical research:

"His research activities are highly translational – they range from the identification of new target structures to their clinical application, from the laboratory to the patient. As the inventor of more than two clinical drug candidates that reached Phase Ib/II and as the founding father of TüCAT, he made significant contributions to drug development. He has presented his research in over 700 internationally recognized and highly cited publications. Stefan Laufer is not only an outstanding scientist but also an entrepreneur who has secured funding for research projects and biotechnology companies through successful venture capital acquisition. He is exceptionally committed to the national and international scientific community – as a scientist, teacher, and lecturer. For many years, he was President of the German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG) and Editor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Stefan Laufer scientific networks in industry and research – from Germany and the USA to Egypt and Brazil. As a teacher and mentor, he profoundly shaped and promoted the next generation of medicinal chemists in industry and academia."

Prize Committee 2025: Gunda Georg (DPhG), Gerhard Heßler (GDCh), Christa Müller (external/Academia),
Franz von Nussbaum (external/industry, Chair), Tatjana Ross (GDCh), Bernhard Wünsch (DPhG)

At the Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry 2024 Conference in Munich, the Novartis team Christopher Adams, Rajeshri Karki, Nello Mainolfi and Stefanie Flohr were awarded the 2024 Friedrich Stolz Prize in recognition of their outstanding research contributions leading to the development of LNP023 (Iptacopan), and the Merck team Dr. Oliver Schadt, Dr. Dieter Dorsch and Dr. Frank Stieber were awarded the 2024 Friedrich-Stolz Award in recognition of their work on the discovery of the MET inhibitor Tepotinib.

Novartis team: "This highly active, orally bioavailable inhibitor of serine protease factor B (fB) was discovered using modern screening methods and a subsequent rigorous investigation of the structure-activity relationship. In clinical studies, it demonstrates excellent efficacy in various indications, such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a life-threatening genetic disorder of the blood count. Other kidney diseases, such as IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), are being investigated. The team has thus conducted outstanding pioneering work for a new target class, making its biological potential accessible to important patient groups in various indications."

Merck team: "The excellent medicinal chemistry work led to the approval of Tepmetko®, the world's first inhibitor for the treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a METex14 skipping alteration. The structural starting points in this research project were identified in a high-throughput screening. During the structure-assisted drug optimization, the medicinal chemistry team led by Dr. Dieter Dorsch, Dr. Oliver Schadt, and Dr. Frank Stieber successfully optimized the complex profile of the lead structures using multiparametric methods, leading to the identification of tepotinib as an innovative investigational drug in 2009. Tepmetko® achieved market approval in 2019. The team's performance, resilience, and innovative strength impressively demonstrate the key role medicinal chemistry plays in the discovery of new therapeutic options in oncology."

Prize Committee 2024: Dr. Gerhard Heßler (GDCh), Dr. Tatjana Ross (GDCh), Prof. Dr. Stefan Laufer (DPhG), Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wünsch (DPhG), Dr. Franz von Nussbaum (external; Chair) and Prof. Dr. Christa Müller (external)

On the occasion of the FiMC 2023 in Vienna , Prof. Dr. Rolf Hartmann was honored with the Friedrich-Stolz Award 2023 in recognition of his scientific lifetime achievement in the field of rational drug design .

"The award-winning interdisciplinary work is based on innovative design, synthesis and, in most cases, a complete and extensive biophysical, biochemical and pharmacological evaluation within the company's own working group. Thanks to his outstanding medical-chemical work, Prof. Dr. Hartmann succeeded in developing highly active and selective inhibitors of steroid biosynthesis. The propagation and validation of four new targets opened up the development of essential drugs for the treatment of cancer and led to the founding of three successful companies. The development of pathoblockers as a new approach in the antimicrobial resistance crisis is equally groundbreaking. The performance, innovative power and successful translation clearly demonstrate the key role that medicinal chemistry plays in researching fundamental pharmacological principles and how medicinal chemistry can work for the benefit of patients."

Prize Committee 2023: Dr. Ingo Hartung (external), Prof. Dr. Stefan Laufer (DPhG), Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger (external; Chair ), Prof. Dr. Holger Stark (GDCh; representative for Prof. Dr. Anna Hirsch), Dr. Franz von Nussbaum (GDCh), Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wünsch (DPhG),

No participation due to bias : Prof. Dr. Anna Hirsch (GDCh)