Pioneering Scientists Behind Covid-19 Vaccine Win Nobel Prize In Medicine
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine after their discovery in 2020 led to the development of an effective mRNA vaccine against Covid-19.
This vaccine was successfully administered to billions of people worldwide and aided the global effort in curtailing the spread of the pandemic.
Karikó, a Hungarian-American biochemist, and Weissman, an American physician and virologist, have been working together since 1988 after meeting at the University of Pennsylvania, where they both teach. They’ve also worked on developing a vaccine against HIV, and more recently focused their efforts on mRNA technology, whose basis was used by companies like Moderna and BioNTech to develop some of the first vaccines available against Covid-19.
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Earlier today, The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to both Karikó and Weissman, sharing a cash prize of 11 million Swedish Krona, which roughly converts into €950,000. Karikó and Weissman will also received a diploma and a medal, along with the monetary award, during the official ceremony set to be held on 10th December later this year.
Their work marked the turning point in the fight against Covid-19, protecting millions of people during the pandemic and saving countless lives.
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