Nobel Prize in medicine: Japanese, Chinese, Irish scientists share award for parasite therapies

Nobel Prize in medicine: Japanese, Chinese, Irish scientists share award for parasite therapies

TOKYO — The Nobel Prize in medicine has been jointly awarded to Satoshi Omura of Japan, William C. Campbell of Ireland and Youyou Tu of China for their work on treatments for parasitic diseases, the Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute said Monday.

     Omura, a professor emeritus at Kitasato University in Japan, and Campbell, a research fellow emeritus at Drew University in the U.S., discovered a drug called avermectin, the derivatives of which have radically lowered the incidence of parasitic disease, such as river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis.

     Tu, chief professor at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, discovered artemisinin, a drug that has significantly reduced the mortality rate for people with malaria.

     “The discoveries have revolutionized therapy for patients suffering from devastating parasitic diseases,” the Karolinska Institute said in a statement. “The global impact of their discoveries and the resulting benefit to mankind are immeasurable.”

(Nikkei)

Nobel Prize in medicine: Japanese, Chinese, Irish scientists share award for parasite therapies