Dr. Palacio was honored along with his team, consisting of: Teresa Cobo, Eugenia Antolin, Maria Ramirez, Francisco Cabrera, Fernando M. Rosales, Jose L. Bartha, Juan Miguel, Anna Marti, Daniel Orós, Àgueda Rodríguez, Elena Scazzocchio, Joseph M. Olivares, Sara Varea i Eduard Gratacós.
The main objective of the study led by Dr. Palacio's was to demonstrate the efficacy of maintenance treatment with vaginal progesterone after an acute episode of preterm labor - stopped by tocolytic therapy - to prolong pregnancy and reduce the number of premature births.
To do this, they designed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind, which has involved 12 Spanish centers. Although the study concludes that the administration of progesterone did not significantly prolongs pregnancy in these cases, the results allow further progress in research in prematurity, the most frequently associated cause with perinatal morbidity and mortality.