Greek entrepreneur Dimitris Bourlivas is preparing to represent his company, Armatura, at the international Prix Galien awards in New York on October 29, after its nutraceutical product Viusid secured one of 13 global nominations in the pharmaceutical product category. The awards ceremony will take place at the American Museum of Natural History, with Armatura competing alongside major pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
The journey began in early 2025, when Bourlivas received an email from Prix Galien Greece, the Greek branch of the internationally recognised institution often described as the “Nobel Prize” of pharmaceutical and life sciences innovation. Initially, he dismissed the message as another unsolicited email claiming that he had won something.
When he read it more carefully, however, he discovered that Armatura had won the institution’s Innovative Technology Award. The email informed him that the award had already been granted and invited him to attend the presentation ceremony at the Athens Concert Hall in April 2025, in the presence of the prime minister and the health minister.
That recognition set Armatura and the product it distributes in Greece on a path to the international Prix Galien awards, where Viusid now competes among 13 nominees worldwide.
The technology behind Viusid
Bourlivas, Armatura’s founder and chief executive, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that his journey began in 2015, when he discovered that Spanish company Catalysis had developed a technology designed to enhance the activity of chemical compounds such as vitamins, antioxidants and plant extracts.
The technology aims to activate these compounds in laboratory conditions before incorporating them into nutraceutical products. According to Bourlivas, this approach seeks to help the body use the compounds more effectively in specific health-related circumstances.
He explained that the research focused on activating ingredients that scientific literature identifies as potentially useful in particular circumstances, including viral infections and other illnesses. The process allows manufacturers to incorporate pre-activated compounds into nutritional supplements at lower doses, which Bourlivas said remain within recommended daily intake limits.
After observing the developments and growing interest from the medical community, Bourlivas concluded that consumers were increasingly looking for alternatives based on more natural ingredients rather than relying exclusively on conventional chemical products.
Drawing on his previous experience working for a pharmaceutical company, he founded Armatura in 2015 to enter the nutraceutical sector, which combines concepts from nutrition and pharmaceuticals.
He subsequently partnered with Catalysis, securing exclusive representation of the Spanish company in Greece and importing and distributing its Viusid product through Armatura’s network.
Bourlivas said Viusid has been the subject of clinical studies involving hepatitis, HIV, cytomegalovirus, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpesviruses and COVID-19.
How Armatura won the Greek Prix Galien award
After nearly a decade of operating Armatura, Bourlivas received the email informing him of the Greek Prix Galien distinction. Once he overcame his initial scepticism, he replied to ask about the cost of attending the awards ceremony.
“They replied that there was no cost. It was an award that had already been granted, and the invitation concerned the presentation ceremony,” he recalled.
Bourlivas then investigated the awards and discovered that the selection process covered a range of entries, including pharmaceutical products, technologies and nutraceuticals.
He subsequently submitted Viusid for evaluation. A medical committee at Prix Galien Greece selected it as Greece’s best nutraceutical for 2025, among numerous competing products. Professor Emeritus of Paediatrics and Endocrinology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, George Chrousos, chairs the committee.
The Greek award provided the springboard for Viusid’s subsequent international nomination.
Viusid joins global Prix Galien contenders
Several months after the Greek ceremony, Bourlivas received another email, this time from the international Prix Galien organisation. He initially overlooked the word “Global” in the message, assuming it was promotional material related to his earlier participation.
He eventually received a reminder from André Lamy in France, who asked him to confirm his attendance in New York.
Bourlivas then realised that an international committee comprising Prix Galien presidents from around the world had selected Viusid as one of 13 nominees in the “Best Pharmaceutical Product” category.
At the October 29 ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Viusid will compete against entries involving treatments, biologic agents, cancer therapies and CRISPR technologies, which enable targeted DNA editing.
Bourlivas compared the experience of competing alongside major pharmaceutical companies to receiving an Oscar nomination alongside leading actors.
He highlighted the presence of companies including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Servier and Vertex Pharmaceuticals among the major names associated with the awards.
Nutraceuticals do not replace medical treatment
Bourlivas emphasised that nutraceuticals should occupy a distinct position between conventional nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical medicines. He described Viusid as a product that aims to bridge that gap.
“We say, with strong evidence, that we can help the body by positioning these products where they belong. We do not promise miracles,” he said.
He added that nutraceuticals can offer more targeted support than ordinary vitamin supplements in certain circumstances, but stressed that they complement rather than replace medical treatment, a balanced diet or professional medical care.
Armatura does not manufacture the products itself. Instead, it represents Catalysis technology in Greece and distributes the Spanish company’s products through its network.
Prix Galien Greece, meanwhile, recognises companies operating in the Greek market, providing a national platform through which products and technologies can gain wider international attention.
Armatura prepares for the New York ceremony
With the international awards ceremony approaching, Bourlivas is preparing to travel to New York to meet researchers, business leaders and other figures involved in shaping the future of healthcare.
He said he hopes to meet people whose work could help advance healthcare and extend life expectancy for future generations.
“I do not know whether I should expect an award, but I certainly hope so. Hope is always the last to die,” he said.
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