Dr Xavier Montalban, head of the Neurology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, head of the VHIR Clinical Neuroimmunology group and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), has received the MS Charcot 2023 Award, awarded by the MSIF (Multiple Sclerosis International Federation). This is the most prestigious international award in the scientific and social community in the field of multiple sclerosis, awarded in recognition of the major advances achieved over a lifetime intensively devoted to care, research and teaching in relation to the disease.

“I am truly honoured and humbled to be the recipient of the 2023 Charcot Award. I would like to thank MSIF, one of the leading global institutions for multiple sclerosis, which I have felt very closely linked to throughout my career”, stated Dr. Xavier Montalban. “This prize marks the peak of a 30-year career in which we have moved from a perspective without treatment to the most advanced medications, which are now clearly essential to making the journey of people living with multiple sclerosis much less painful. Thanks to them, most cases of multiple sclerosis become a chronic illness of the central nervous system. This improves quality of life and life expectancy for patients with multiple sclerosis, matching the average of the general population, which is what the Charcot Award is really for", he added.

Xavier Montalban's tireless involvement and dedication over three decades of his professional career has had a substantial impact on all areas of research and clinical care: diagnosis, treatment of symptoms and background, clinical trials, MRI, the cause and origin of multiple sclerosis and biomarkers, among other fields. The creation of the Cemcat, which is amongst the top five specialist centres in the world and which provides a service to over 4,000 people at Vall d’Hebron, represents the culmination of over 20 years of success. Indeed, Dr Montalban has been a leader in national and international research, teaching and, especially, clinical practice. The career of Dr Xavier Montalban has therefore received the tribute of the highest prize in his speciality, thanks to the multidisciplinary approach developed by a high-quality team who together have ensured improvements to the well-being, quality of life in health and autonomy of people with multiple sclerosis, so that life expectancy is longer than 30 years ago.

Consistency was essential to overcoming the obstacles posed by the disease over the years: Xavier Montalban has designed and conducted clinical trials of all phases (I, II and III), which today provide over 20 therapeutic options to halt attacks of the disease, together with improvements in the use of important instruments such as MRI to diagnose, monitor and limit the progression of multiple sclerosis. He has worked to find biological and non-biological markers that can predict such things as the course of the disease and how it will respond to treatment.