Ronald Levy, a Stanford University School of Medicine physician and cancer expert, has been named the recipient of the 2009 King Faisal International Prize in Medicine for his work in developing a drug that is now widely used to treat lymphoma.

Levy will travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to receive the prize from the Saudi royal family on March 29.

The award includes a certificate in Arabic calligraphy describing his work, a 24-carat, 200-gram gold medallion and $200,000.

The King Faisal prizes have been awarded annually since 1982 and Levy is the 19th American to win the medicine award. Awards are given to those who make notable contributions in the fields of Islamic studies and service, Arabic language and literature, science and medicine.

The King Faisal Foundation was established in 1976 by the eight sons of the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and makes the awards.

Levy started working in 1981 on research to find a way to develop a drug made from a naturally produced blood protein called an antibody to help fight cancer.

The research resulted in the drug Rituxan, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997 as the first commercial antibody used to treat cancer. It's used in the treatment of lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.

"Now, it's recommended for treating almost every lymphoma patient, and over 1 million people have been treated with it so far," Levy said.

The drug is successful in reducing the size of tumors. Other antibodies have since been developed to treat other forms of cancers, including breast, colon and lung.

"Dr. Ron Levy is one of the most remarkable and accomplished physician-scientists in the world," Dr. Philip Pizzo, dean of the School of Medicine, said. "With nearly laser-like focus he has dedicated his illustrious career to unraveling innovative ways of treating malignant lymphomas.

"He and his colleagues have virtually transformed our knowledge about tumor immunology and cancer biology, and his research has resulted in dramatic improvements in the treatment and survival of patients with lymphoma."

-- Don Kazak