The Nobel Prize has been awarded to two scientists who, decades ago, developed a medicine and then donated it. That medicine became vastly successful and treated patients in various countries.
The Boston Globe reports that one of the scientists, 85-year-old biologist William Campbell, was surprised when he got the news. "I said, 'It's not that I mistrust you, but is there some way that I can verify this?'" said Campbell to a reporter in an interview.
Campbell and his colleague, Japanese biochemist Satoshi Omura, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work in developing ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug that fights against river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, parasites that currently threaten 1.35 billion people in the world, as per Mother Jones.
Ivermectin had an incredible development. In the 1970's, Omura, a scientist at the Kitasato Institute in Tokyo found Streptomyces, soil-dwelling bacteria that were very effective against parasites. He sent samples of the bacteria to Campbell in New Jersey, who was working for Merck & Co.
The freeze-dried samples that were sent sat in the microbiology department for a year, and were only tested after Campbell and his colleagues came up with a new method for testing potential compounds against parasitic worms.
The compound was found to be effective in paralyzing parasitic worms. It was first called avermectin, then after some modifications, the name was changed to ivermectin.
It was tested on various specimens, including rats, dogs, and even reindeer, before it was tested on humans. "When you work with new drug discovery, you accept the fact that most of what you work on doesn't lead to a successful drug," Campbell told the Globe. "I was immensely relieved that it works in humans and at a low dose and seems to be very safe."
Quickly realizing that the drug could not be afforded by many who actually needed it, Campbell and his boss talked to the then CEO of Merck Dr. Roy Vagelos, who then made the decision to donate the drug, then named Mectizan, to groups who worked against river blindness. They gave away as much was needed, and later it was also freely supplied to combat filariasis.
"It was a gutsy move. It's a very difficult thing to give a drug away," said Campbell.
According to the New York Times, Campbell and Omura will receive half the $960,000 award in December. The other half is awarded to China's Youyou Tu, who discovered Artemisinin, an anti-malaria drug that is now included in standard treatments.
