The Antoine Lacassagne Award was established in 1977 by the Collège de France to reward the work and encourage the careers of young French and foreign biology researchers.

Its creation was made possible by a donation from Antoine Lacassagne, who held the Chair of Experimental Medicine at the Collège de France from 1951 to 1954, of the amount of the prize awarded by the United Nations for his work on cancer.

The prize is accompanied by an invitation to the winner to present his or her research at a seminar at the Collège de France, which traditionally coincides with the Journée François Jacob organized by the Institut de biologie at the start of each academic year. The winner receives a prize of 6 000 euros and a bronze medal from the Collège de France.

The prize is awarded at the Collège de France Assembly in June, on the recommendation of the biology professors. The list of winners since the award's inception is available in the Collège de France yearbook.