Nobel Prize 2023: scientists who created mRNA Covid-19 vaccines win award for medicine

Two scientists credited with making major breakthroughs in the development of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine have won the Nobel Prize for medicine.

Dr Katalin Kariko and Dr Drew Weissman will share the prize money of 11 million Swedish Kronor - around £820,000 - for their accomplishments, which saw the Covid-19 vaccine rolled out by companies such as Pfizer and Moderna during the worldwide pandemic.

Dr Kariko is a professor at Sagan’s University in Hungary and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Weissman worked alongside Dr Kariko at the University of Pennsylvania, where he holds the role of professor.

Their research into mRNA vaccines and the success of the Covid-9 vaccine rollout has led to the same mRNA technology being researched for its effectiveness for other diseases.

The Nobel prize panel said of the pair: “Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times."

Thomas Perlmann, secretary of the Nobel Assembly, made the announcement on Monday 2 October, adding that both recipients were "overwhelmed" by the news that they had been awarded with the prize.