The American Chemical Society (ACS) will honor researchers and companies as Heroes of Chemistry for creating and enhancing products that have led to significant advancements in sustainability and improvements in health care. The ceremony to honor these achievements will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 25, in Chicago, IL, during ACS Fall 2026.
"The 2026 Heroes of Chemistry truly embrace the ACS commitment of improving all lives through the transforming power of chemistry," says ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez. "These companies are advancing innovations that strengthen human health, support global food systems and enable more sustainable technologies. Their work demonstrates how chemistry can solve some of the most pressing challenges facing society today."
Scientific teams in industry are being honored for the following achievements:
Novartis: Scemblix® (asciminib) is a novel therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia that works by restoring a key protein to its inactive state.
Corteva: Pyraxalt™ active (triflumezopyrim) provides rapid, long lasting control of rice planthoppers through a novel mode of action that stops pests from feeding and controls resistant populations. Its selectivity and single application effectiveness helps protect yields, supports sustainable farming and strengthens food security for rice growing communities across Asia.
Qnity Electronics: Recognized for a breakthrough in non fluorine photoresists for semiconductor manufacturing. This innovation supports the industry's shift away from PFAS, advancing sustainability while meeting the precision needs of modern chip production. First commercialized with the launch of UV™ 26GNF photoresist, Qnity has expanded this technology across a range of products used in semiconductor lithography.
Gilead Sciences: Veklury® (remdesivir) is an antiviral that demonstrates broad spectrum activity against multiple pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, SARS, Marburg and MERS in vitro. Rapidly developed and scaled, it became the first FDA approved COVID-19 treatment, with clinical trials showing that it reduced recovery time and disease progression risk during the global pandemic.
The 2026 winners will be inducted into the Heroes of Chemistry scientific hall of fame, which ACS has sponsored annually since 1996.
Special thanks to the ACS Board Committee on Corporation Associates, which evaluated the applications and selected the winners.
