PPMD is honored to receive the 2026 Patient-Centered Health Award from the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), recognizing organizations that have made significant contributions to advancing patient-centered healthcare and ensuring patient perspectives inform the development and regulation of medical products.

For more than 30 years, PPMD has worked to ensure the voices of people living with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy and their families are meaningfully integrated into every stage of therapy development, from shaping clinical trial design and advancing patient-focused drug development to regulatory decision-making. Through initiatives such as the community-led Duchenne guidance, leading patient preference studies, and administration of the world’s largest Duchenne patient reported outcomes registry, PPMD has become a recognized leader in regulatory innovation for the Duchenne and Becker community. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the entire Duchenne and Becker community and the progress we have made together to bring the experiences, priorities, and unmet needs of patients to the forefront.

“We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from RAPS,” said Katherine Beaverson, MS, PPMD’s Chief Executive Officer. “This award belongs to the entire Duchenne and Becker community—our families, advocates, researchers, clinicians, industry partners, and regulatory colleagues—whose collaboration has helped transform how patient perspectives are incorporated into drug development and regulatory decision-making. Together, we remain committed to accelerating therapies and ensuring every voice continues to make a difference. Together, we honor every journey.”

PPMD’s work in patient-centered regulatory science has helped advance meaningful engagement between the Duchenne and Becker community, regulators, researchers, and industry, demonstrating the critical role patients and caregivers play in shaping the future of rare disease therapies.

Beaverson will accept the award on behalf of PPMD at RAPS Convergence 2026, where she will also participate in the Morning Plenary Session on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, with a focus on highlighting the critical role of patient advocacy in shaping the future of healthcare and regulatory innovation. The conference brings together regulatory professionals from around the world, including representatives from health authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Health Canada, industry, academia, and patient organizations.

As RAPS celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, PPMD congratulates the organization on five decades of advancing the regulatory profession and fostering collaboration to improve public health. We are grateful to RAPS for this recognition and to every individual and family, advocate, clinician, researcher, industry partner, and regulator who has contributed to this work. Together, we will continue advancing research, improving care, and ensuring the Duchenne and Becker community remains at the center of every step toward advancing new therapies.