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Five scientists who helped acquire Ozempic - dash drugs have been awarded a $ 3 million prize nicknamed the " Oscars of Science . "
The Breakthrough Prizes are one-year award that draw a bead on to recognize " the humankind ’s top scientists influence in the fundamental sciences , " according to the official website for the plunder . Six prize are given , in sum , covering skill in central physics , mathematics and the animation sciences .
Dr. Jens Holst, pictured above, is one of five researchers to have been jointly awarded a Breakthrough Prize for their work on Ozempic-style drugs.
This year , Dr. Jens Holst , Dr. Daniel Drucker , Dr. Joel Habener , Lotte KnudsenandSvetiana Mojsovhave been announced as joint winners of one of three Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences for 2025 .
" When something [ like this award ] drops in completely unexpected , that ’s nice , that ’s wonderful , " Holst , a prof of medical physiology at the University of Copenhagen , told Live Science .
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Ozempic and Wegovy are well-known examples of GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Holst and his fellow received one of the life - science awards this class " for the discovery and picture of glucagon - same peptide 1 and reveal its physiology and voltage in treating diabetes and fleshiness , " read an official statement .
Glucagon - like peptide 1 , or GLP-1 , is a hormone that the gutsecretes after wipe out . The endocrine stimulates the departure of insulin , which lowers rake carbohydrate level , and it also slows down digestion , making masses experience full . It ’s a key player inhow the mastermind regulates appetence .
drug likeOzempicandWegovyare good example of " GLP-1 receptor agonists " — they mimic the action of the GLP-1 endocrine in the body to treattype 2 diabetesandobesity , respectively .
These drugs have garner significant popularity over the retiring decade , and they are now being investigated as potential treatments for many other health conditions , range fromsubstance - enjoyment disorderstoAlzheimer ’s disease . In 2024 , Wegovy also get regulatoryapproval in the United States to treat spirit disease , although questions remain regarding how it really treats the condition .
However , despite their success , GLP-1 sensory receptor protagonist have also faced considerable examination . For case , there have been study of some patients have nasty side effects , such aspersistent emesis and stomach paralysis .
Additionally , a big study publish in 2025 discover that these drugs may reduce the jeopardy of build up 42 health conditions but mayincrease the chances of experience 19 others , admit abdominal pain , low origin imperativeness and arthritis . This study was correlational , so it ’s unknown if GLP-1 agonists are actually driving these conditions , but it still raise interrogation about the drug ' long - terminal figure effects .
Even with these concerns , though , many believe these drugs haverevolutionized the treatment of cardiometabolic disorder . In the U.S.,1 in 8 adultshave reported using a GLP-1 drug at some pointedness in their lives .
Holst and fellow worker in the beginning discovered the GLP-1 hormoneback in the 1980s . objet d’art by musical composition , they gather data showing that the internal secretion stimulated insulin secretion , and that it inhibit solid food intake and the evacuation of the stomach after a repast , Holst said .
Over the years , the researchers further examined these physiological burden within the setting of diabetes and fleshiness , which finally led to the development of the wide used drugs that are household name today .
There is potential a huge interest around these drug because they offer an alternative , and very effective , path to exercising weight loss for hoi polloi with obesity who might not have found success with other interventions , Holst say . However , as a doc , he is more concerned in their ability to treat the belt - on wellness worry tied to corpulency , such as certaincancersandatherosclerosis , which can run tocoronary arteria disease , he bring .
" What we sleep together is that obesity is associated with a Hades of [ a lot of ] complications , " he said . " The significant thing is that with these compounds , you may prevent that . "
Holst and colleagues are now inquire how the body regulates its own GLP-1 hormone degree and whether this process can be falsify . For instance , they want to see whether patients with obesity or diabetes could be give a drug that increases the secernment of their own GLP-1 hormone , rather than being hold a drug that just mime the action of GLP-1 , Holst state .
— 4 life scientist award Germany ’s most prestigious scientific award , worth 2.5 million euros
— 2 scientists win $ 3 million ' Breakthrough Prize ' for mRNA technical school behind COVID-19 vaccines
— 2 scientists snag Nobel in practice of medicine for discovering ' microRNAs '
In addition to the prize awarded to GLP-1 ’s developers , the other two life sciences awards this year went toDr . Stephen HauserandDr . Alberto Ascherio , for theirwork on multiple sclerosis , andDavid Liufor developing two common factor redact technologies known as " base redaction " and " prime editing . "
This year ’s winners will receive their laurels at a ceremony in Los Angeles on April 5 , 2025 .
