The Americans Harvey J. Alter, Charles M. Rice, and Michael Houghton, a British scientist, jointly received the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday to discover hepatitis C virus, a significant cause of liver disease in millions around the world.
"Made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives" said Nobel assembly.
Bloodborne disease can cause liver inflammation and cancer. Around the globe, 70 million hepatitis cases are estimated in the World Health Organization, resulting in an annual death rate of 400,000.The Nobel Committee, announced in Stockholm, pointed out that the trio 's work found a significant source of bloodborne hepatitis which was not clarified by the hepatitis A and B viruses that had previously been discovered. Dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, their work led to saving millions of lives..
Gold medals and prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.12 million) will be awarded to the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize.