Galway-founded medical technology company Aerogen has been named the winner of the 2026 American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AmCham ) Global Impact Award, a prestigious recognition of organisations whose work is making a significant difference on the international stage.
The award was presented at the US-Ireland Business Awards in Dublin and celebrates Aerogen’s remarkable journey from a small operation in the west of Ireland to a global leader in respiratory drug delivery technology.
Founded more than 25 years ago, Aerogen remains headquartered in Galway, where its story first began above a butcher’s shop in Moycullen. From those modest beginnings, the company has grown into Ireland’s largest indigenous medtech business, employing more than 700 people worldwide, with major operations in Galway and Shannon.
Aerogen was recognised for Project Aerogen Solo, an innovation that judges said exemplifies how Irish engineering, manufacturing excellence and talent, combined with clinical adoption and partnership in the United States, can transform patient care on a global scale. Developed and manufactured in Ireland, Aerogen Solo is now used in more than 80 countries, helping healthcare professionals deliver aerosolised medications more effectively to patients across a wide range of clinical settings.
Today, Aerogen’s technology has supported the treatment of more than 30 million patients worldwide, underlining the far-reaching impact of innovation developed in the west of Ireland. The company’s success in the United States has been particularly notable. Since establishing its US operations in Chicago in 2015, Aerogen has expanded significantly and now supports more than 3,100 healthcare customers across the country. Its technology is used in 95 per cent of the top 1,000 hospitals in the United States, demonstrating the trust placed in its products by clinicians and healthcare systems.
Accepting the award, John Power, CEO and Founder of Aerogen, paid tribute to the company’s roots and the people who have contributed to its success.
“We are incredibly proud that technology developed and manufactured in Galway is improving patient care around the world. This award is recognition not only of Aerogen’s global impact, but of the innovation, talent and ambition that exists here in the west of Ireland.”
The AmCham Global Impact Award was highly competitive, with Aerogen shortlisted alongside a distinguished group of organisations including IBM Research Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, Boston Scientific, Dell Technologies, Verizon, Workday and Origina.
The latest recognition adds to Aerogen’s growing list of international achievements. The company is the only organisation in the world to have received the AARC Zenith Award 12 times, an honour voted on by respiratory care professionals across the United States.
Looking to the future, Aerogen continues to push the boundaries of medical innovation. Through Aerogen Pharma, the company is currently progressing Phase III clinical trials for an inhaled surfactant therapy for premature babies. The programme has the potential to become one of the most significant advances in neonatal care in more than 50 years.
The award not only recognises Aerogen’s global achievements but also highlights the strength of the innovation and business partnership between Ireland and the United States. For Aerogen, it is further evidence that world-leading healthcare innovation can be conceived, developed and manufactured in Galway while improving the lives of millions of patients around the globe.
