UNITED STATES/HUNGARY: Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, hailing from Hungary and the United States, respectively, have been honored with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their pioneering work in developing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
This prestigious award, selected by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute Medical University, carries a cash prize of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1 million).
Katalin Karikó, formerly senior vice president and director of RNA protein replacement at BioNTech, now advises the company while also teaching at the University of Szeged and the Perelman School of Medicine.
Drew Weissman, a professor of vaccine research at the Perelman School, made a significant breakthrough by preventing the immune system from triggering an inflammatory response when using mRNA for therapeutics. In 2005, they demonstrated that mRNA could avoid detection by altering its nucleosides, the genetic code’s molecular letters.
The Nobel Prize for Medicine, established in 1901 by Alfred Nobel, recognizes groundbreaking discoveries in various fields, including science, literature, peace, and economics. The medicine prize is traditionally the first to be presented, with the other five awards to be announced soon.
On December 10, the Swedish king will bestow the Nobel Awards in Stockholm, commemorating Alfred Nobel’s passing. The event will feature a luncheon at city hall. Past medical laureates include Svante Pääbo for Neanderthal genome sequencing and Denisovan discovery, as well as notable figures like Alexander Fleming and Karl Landsteiner.
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