Three Share Nobel In Medicine (Press, 19 October 1988)
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Summary: Three Share Nobel In Medicine (Press, 19 October 1988)
On 18 October 1988, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded jointly to Sir James Black, Gertrude Elion, and George Hitchings for their significant contributions to the development of new drugs for various diseases, including AIDS. The prize, worth 400,000 Swedish kronor (approximately NZ$652,000), was presented by Sweden's Karolinska Institute, which noted that their research laid vital groundwork for medicines targeting a wide range of disorders such as leukemia, malaria, viral infections, and gout. The citation highlighted pivotal research carried out in the late 1940s by Elion and Hitchings at the Wellcome laboratories in North Carolina. Their investigations elucidated the differences between healthy cells and cancerous ones, establishing a scientific basis for developing drugs that could selectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells and harmful organisms. One of the most notable applications of their research was the development of azidothymidine (AZT), a drug that has been effective in treating AIDS, a condition that severely compromises the immune system. Elion (70) and Hitchings (83) were previously credited for creating acyclovir in 1977, a drug that effectively inhibits the herpes virus. Their earlier work facilitated advancements that ultimately led to the development of AZT, significantly impacting AIDS treatment by slowing the progression of the virus. Sir James Black (64), affiliated with King’s College Hospital in London, pioneered the field of beta-blockers that help reduce heart workload by lowering oxygen supply. He and his team developed pronethalol in 1962, followed by propranolol in 1964, both contributing to treatments for angina and myocardial infarction. More recently, Black’s research resulted in cimmetidine, which has provided new options for treating peptic ulcers. The Nobel Prize awarded to Black, Elion, and Hitchings was the third of this year’s six Nobel Prizes. Earlier, the United Nations peacekeeping forces had received the Peace Prize, and Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz was recognised for literature. The announcement for the Economics award was expected shortly by the Swedish Academy of Sciences, with the winners of the Physics and Chemistry prizes to be revealed the following day.
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