On October 2, 2023, Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were announced as the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The pair discovered what would become the basis for two of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. Weissman and Karikó had made a tweak in mRNA, which altered the vaccine’s effects. Their work helped the world recover from one of the worst pandemics in history.
Dr. Karikó is the 13th woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Advancements in research unfolded slowly over decades. Karikó said that the work with mRNA was very frustrating due to the lack of funding, but she was motivated by the small improvements she began to notice. Weissman said, “We saw potential and we weren’t willing to give up.”
Karikó met Weissman at a copy machine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. Weissman was trying to make a vaccine for HIV at the time, but he was desperate. He wondered if Dr. Karikó would be able to help. Now, nearly 25 years later, the duo has received a Nobel Prize for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their work is still being used in an attempt to develop cures for diseases like cancer and HIV.
