hepatitis Archives

3 win Nobel medicine prize for discovering hepatitis C virus

October 7, 2020

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for discovering the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus, a breakthrough that led to cures for the deadly disease and tests to keep the scourge out of the blood supply.

Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and British-born scientist Michael Houghton were honored for their work over several decades on an illness that still plagues more than 70 million worldwide and kills over 400,000 each year.

“For the first time in history, the disease can now be cured, raising hopes of eradicating hepatitis C virus from the world,” the Nobel Committee said in announcing the prize in Stockholm.

The challenge now is to make these still-expensive drugs more widely available and to stem the spread of the disease among drug users, whose sharing of needles has led to spikes in cases.

“What we need is the political will

3 Win Nobel Medicine Prize for Discovering Hepatitis C Virus | Health News

October 6, 2020

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By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, MARIA CHENG and DAVID KEYTON, Associated Press

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for discovering the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus, a breakthrough that led to cures for the deadly disease and tests to keep the scourge out of the blood supply.

Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and British-born scientist Michael Houghton were honored for their work over several decades on an illness that still plagues more than 70 million worldwide and kills over 400,000 each year.

“For the first time in history, the disease can now be cured, raising hopes of eradicating hepatitis C virus from the world,” the Nobel Committee said in announcing the prize in Stockholm.

The challenge now is to make these still-expensive drugs more widely available and to stem the spread of the disease among drug users, whose sharing of needles has led to

U.S., British hepatitis C researchers win Nobel Prize in Medicine

October 5, 2020

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Oct. 5 (UPI) — Three scientists who each played a role in finding a cure for hepatitis C have won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel Foundation announced Monday.

Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and Briton Michael Houghton won the 2020 prize for their separate work in battling hepatitis C, a blood-borne disease that causes cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.

The disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and causes more than 1 million deaths per year worldwide, making it a global health threat on a scale comparable to HIV infection and tuberculosis.

The prize was announced during a ceremony at the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which awards the honor each year.

Two other types of hepatitis — A and B — had been identified earlier, but a still-unknown form had continued to affect blood transfusion

Nobel Prize in medicine awarded for discovery of hepatitis C

October 5, 2020

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Years later, British-born virologist Michael Houghton — then working for the pharmaceutical company Chiron — found a way to clone the virus and identified antibodies created against it by the host’s immune system; this led to the development of screening mechanisms to eliminate the virus in the blood supply. Through genetic analysis, then-Washington University in St. Louis researcher Charles M. Rice characterized the virus and set scientists on a path to finding a cure.

Hepatitis C, which is often transmitted through blood transfusions, causes severe inflammation of the liver and is blamed for 400,000 deaths annually.

The Nobel Committee called the three researchers’ work “a landmark achievement in our battle against viral infections.”

“It’s hard to find something that is of such benefit to mankind as what we are awarding this year,” said Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Committee. “This discovery … has led to improvements for millions of

US-British Trio Win Nobel Medicine Prize For Hepatitis C Discovery

October 5, 2020

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Americans Harvey Alter and Charles Rice together with Briton Michael Houghton won the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus, paving the way for a cure, the Nobel jury said.

The three were honoured for their “decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world,” the jury said.

The World Health Organization estimates there are around 70 million Hepatitis C infections globally, causing around 400,000 deaths each year. It is characterized by poor appetite, vomiting, fatigue and jaundice.

The three were honoured for their “decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis” Photo: AFP / Jonathan NACKSTRAND

Thanks to the trio’s discoveries, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have “essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health”,

Virus-hunting trio wins Nobel for Hepatitis C discovery

October 5, 2020

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Nobel Committee member Patrik Ernfors sits in front of a screen displaying the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, (L-R) American Harvey Alter, Briton Michael Houghton and American Charles Rice, during a press conference at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 5, 2020.

Jonathan Nackstrand | AFP | Getty Images

Two Americans and a Briton won the 2020 Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday for identifying the Hepatitis C virus, in work spanning decades that has helped to limit the spread of the fatal disease and develop antiviral drugs to cure it.

The discoveries by scientists Harvey Alter, Charles Rice and Briton Michael Houghton meant there was now a chance of eradicating the Hepatitis C virus, which causes cirrhosis and liver cancer, the award-giving body said.

The three share the 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million) award for discovering and proving that a blood-borne

Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for discovery of hepatitis C to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice

October 5, 2020

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The Nobel Prize in Medicine has been jointly awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of hepatitis C virus.

a person standing in front of a television: Thomas Perlmann (right), the Secretary of the Nobel Committee, announces the winners.

© JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images
Thomas Perlmann (right), the Secretary of the Nobel Committee, announces the winners.

The award is one of the most sought-after global accolades and grants entry into one of the most prestigious clubs in the world.

The Nobel Assembly said in a news release Monday that the three scientists “made seminal discoveries that led to the identification of a novel virus.” It said the trio had “made a decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world.”

diagram: The 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet on Monday.

© Niklaus Elmehed/Nobel Prize
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet on Monday.

Globally, an estimated 71 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus

American, British Hepatitis C researchers win Nobel Prize in Medicine

October 5, 2020

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Oct. 5 (UPI) — Three scientists who each played a role in finding a cure for Hepatitis C have won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Nobel Foundation announced Monday.

Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and Briton Michael Houghton won the 2020 prize for their separate work in battling Hepatitis C, a blood-borne disease which causes cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.

The disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and causes more than 1 million deaths per year worldwide, making it a global health threat on a scale comparable to HIV-infection and tuberculosis.

The prize was announced during a ceremony at the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which awards the honor each year.

Two other types of hepatitis — A and B — had been identified earlier, but a still-unknown form had continued to affect blood transfusion patients.

Americans part of hepatitis C virus discovery

October 5, 2020

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David Keyton, Frank JOrdans, Associated Press
Published 6:12 a.m. ET Oct. 5, 2020

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Thomas Perlmann, far right, Secretary of the Nobel Assembly announces the 2020 Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine during a news conference at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, Monday Oct. 5, 2020. (Photo: Claudio Bresciani, AP)

STOCKHOLM — Americans Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology on Monday for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus.

Announcing the prize in Stockholm on Monday, the Nobel Committee noted that the trio’s work helped explain a major source of blood-borne hepatitis that couldn’t be explained by the hepatitis A and B viruses. Their work make possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives, the committee said.

“Thanks to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now

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Tag: hepatitis

3 win Nobel medicine prize for discovering hepatitis C virus

3 Win Nobel Medicine Prize for Discovering Hepatitis C Virus | Health News

U.S., British hepatitis C researchers win Nobel Prize in Medicine

Nobel Prize in medicine awarded for discovery of hepatitis C

US-British Trio Win Nobel Medicine Prize For Hepatitis C Discovery

Virus-hunting trio wins Nobel for Hepatitis C discovery

Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded for discovery of hepatitis C to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice

American, British Hepatitis C researchers win Nobel Prize in Medicine

Americans part of hepatitis C virus discovery