The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, opening Nobel week, spotlights pioneering research on GLP-1 biology, obesity treatment, and sleep regulation, setting the stage for a competitive race among leading scientists. The award, worth 12 million Swedish kronor, recognises groundbreaking discoveries with profound implications for human health.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will open Nobel week on Monday, with researchers behind GLP-1 drugs among the names drawing particular attention from observers of the prize. According to the Nobel Prize website, the Medicine announcement from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm is due no earlier than 11:30 a.m. local time, while the week will continue with physics on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday, literature on Thursday, peace on Friday and economics next Sunday.
One of the clearest unofficial guides to the Nobel race is Clarivate’s “Citation Laureates” list, which highlights scientists whose work is heavily cited and often judged to be of Nobel calibre. Clarivate says 89 of its listed researchers have gone on to win a Nobel Prize, sometimes years after first being recognised. For medicine, the company’s 2026 list includes the pioneers of GLP-1 biology and obesity treatment: Daniel J. Drucker of the University of Toronto, Jens Juul Holst of the University of Copenhagen and Svetlana Mojsov. Their discoveries helped lay the scientific foundation for GLP-1 medicines now widely used in type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Other names circulating among commentators include Emmanuel Mignot and Masashi Yanagisawa, whose work on orexin has transformed understanding of sleep and wakefulness. The Scientist has also highlighted Lotte Bjerre Knudsen and John Eng for GLP-1 research, alongside Carl June, one of the leading figures in CAR-T cancer therapy. Mignot and Yanagisawa received this year’s Lasker Award for basic medical research, a distinction often seen as a possible prelude to a Nobel.
This year’s prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor for a full award, according to the Nobel Prize organisation and reporting by Mediafax. When more than one laureate shares the honour, the sum is divided between them, and each recipient also receives a medal and diploma. The figure comes from Alfred Nobel’s fortune, which he set aside in his 1895 will to fund annual prizes for those whose work confers the greatest benefit on humankind.
The Nobel Prize website says Nobel’s estate was initially worth more than 31 million Swedish kronor, a sum now estimated at about 2.2 billion kronor. The Nobel Foundation manages the assets so the prizes can continue without depleting the original fund, while the institutions that choose each laureate make their decisions independently of the prize money. The first prizes were awarded in 1901, establishing a tradition that remains one of the most closely watched on the scientific calendar.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
