Weight-loss drug researchers among Nobel Prize favorites in medicine

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Weight-loss drug researchers among Nobel Prize favorites in medicine
Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

Among those mentioned in the speculation are researchers who contributed to the development of the best-selling diabetes and weight-loss drugs. In addition to revolutionising obesity care, the drugs have been shown to have several other positive effects, including in the treatment of addiction.

Basically, the drugs are based on a hormone, GLP-1, which regulates appetite and blood glucose levels.

Pictures of tissues

There are several possible names here, but among the top candidates are Daniel Drucker, Jens Juul Holst and Svetlana Mojsov. Jeffrey Friedman, who identified the hormone leptin and showed how the body molecularly regulates body weight and metabolism, is also tipped.

Of course, there are also potential laureates in completely different fields. The analytics company Clarivate proposes James Fujimoto, David Huang and Eric Swanson, who developed OCT technology. It is an advanced imaging technique that uses light waves to create detailed, transparent cross-sectional images of tissues.

Cancer and the immune system

Or perhaps it will be the researchers behind CAR-T cell therapy, who have made major breakthroughs in treating several types of cancer, who will be honoured. Another speculation is that the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine could be awarded to Timothy A Springer for discoveries about how immune system cells attach to targets in the body.

This year the prize money is 12 million kronor per prize. If the prize is shared between several laureates, the prize money will also be divided between them.

In 2025, what is colloquially known as the Medicine Prize went to Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi, who were awarded for discoveries about peripheral immune tolerance - how our immune system refrains from attacking our own bodies.

Alfred Nobel (born 1833 in Stockholm, died 1896 in San Remo, Italy) is Sweden's most famous inventor and industrialist. His most important invention was dynamite, which he patented in 1867.

Alfred Nobel left behind a large fortune and his will stated that the majority of the fortune would form a fund, the returns of which would go to award prizes to those "who during the past year have done the greatest good to humanity."

Nobel wanted prizes to be awarded in five categories: in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and for peace.

The first award ceremony took place in 1901.

Much later, the Nobel Prize in Economics, or "Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel", was established. The prize was established by the Sveriges Riksbank and was first awarded in 1969.

A maximum of three people may share each prize.

The award ceremony takes place on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, December 10. The Nobel Prize is awarded in Stockholm and Oslo (the Peace Prize).

Sources: NE and nobelprize.org

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By TT News Agency. English edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers

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