Aids scientist scoops EU inventor of the year award

A Belgian scientist who co-discovered a compound nowusedas a 'gold standard' in the treatment of AIDShas won a lifetime achievement award from the EU.

Erik De Clercq, a professor at the university of Leuven, saidthat such a distinction came as a "total surprise" when he washanded the award at a ceremony in Ljubljana on Tuesday.

"This prize is a recognition of the value of the work I’ve beendoing. That work is based not only on my input but also on thechemist and industry; I call this the 'holy trinity'," he toldTheParliament.com.

De Clercq won for his contribution to antiviral treatment, oneof the most important discoveries being the compound tenofovirdisoproxil fumarate, which is now used as part of a "drug cocktail"approach to treating HIV.

"My dream is that this compound could be used…so that it couldbe given all over the world, to everyone, in every country," hesaid.

The nominees were placed in four cateogries, for inventions inindustry, SMEs and research, non-European countries and lifetimeachievement.

Philip Green of US company SRI International won the prize for anon-European country for inventing a robotic console allowingsurgeons to perform operations with minute precision.

"It’s a great thrill just to be an inventor," he said.

"Thank you for considering non-Europeans, we’re delighted you havea category for us as well," he added.

Speaking at a press conference before the event, industrycommissioner Günter Verheugen congratulated all the nominees forthis year’s awards.

"The nominees for the European inventor of the year 2008 are allexamples of top innovators who deserve our most sincerecongratulations," he said.

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