Dr. Robert Inman presented award by Her Royal Highness,
The Princess Royal at March of Dimes Gala Dinner

June 4th, 2007 – Toronto – March of Dimes Canada and sanofi pasteur were thrilled to announce and award the 2007 winner of the Jonas Salk award at the Ability and Beyond Gala Dinner, A Royal Evening, which took place June 4th, 2007 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.

The 2007 winner, Dr. Robert Inman, was presented the Jonas Salk Award by the President of sanofi pasteur, Mark Lievonen and Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (Princess Anne).  The Princess was in Toronto to attend March of Dimes Canada’s annual dinner, which was held to raise funds for programs for people such as Stroke Recovery Canada ™ and the Post-Polio Network of March of Dimes. 

Dr. Inman is one of only a handful of researchers who have devoted their careers to advancing the scientific knowledge and treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), one of the most common forms of arthritis affecting young adults, primarily young men. 

While the exact cause of AS is unknown, Dr. Inman has made key contributions in advancing scientific understanding of how a bacterial infection may trigger the disease in susceptible individuals.  He published a landmark study about this relationship after there was an occurrence of reactive spondyloarthritis after an outbreak of Salmonellosis within the Ontario Provincial Police during Pope John-Paul II’s visit to Toronto in 1984. 

Dr. Inman has also contributed to the body of work that has established TNF blockers as one of the biggest breakthroughs in the treatment of arthritis since the discovery of aspirin.  TNF blockers can relieve the symptoms of arthritis, slow the progress of joint damage, and improve the ability to do daily activities. 

In addition to being an exceptional scientist and mentoring many students, Dr. Inman has demonstrated his commitment to helping patients affected with the disease by playing key roles in patients’ associations.

The award is jointly sponsored by sanofi pasteur (formerly known as Connaught Laboratories) and March of Dimes. It also includes a personal financial tribute of $10,000 in recognition of the recipient's achievement.

With the release of the life saving polio vaccine in 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk established a worldwide reputation as a scientist and a humanitarian.  The Jonas Salk Award is presented annually to a Canadian scientist, physician or researcher who has made a new and outstanding contribution in science or medicine to prevent, alleviate or eliminate a physical disability.

Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, provided more than a billion doses of vaccine in 2006, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, sanofi pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The Company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us.