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In just the last few years, new medications have turned hepatitis C into a widely and quickly curable disease — for those who can afford it.
But the lesser-known origins of the story trace back to a 1990s laboratory invention that made it all possible. Now, two virologists who pioneered that pivotal development, and a drug researcher who created the first revolutionary drug, are being honored with one of the most prestigious awards in medical science.
Ralf Bartenschlager, a German at the University of Heidelberg, and Charles Rice, an American at Rockefeller University, will receive one of the Lasker Awards for developing a technique to replicate hepatitis C in the lab, the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation announced on Tuesday. They’ll share the foundation’s award for clinical medical research with Michael Sofia, an industry scientist who invented the hepatitis C drug sold as Sovaldi with the help of Bartenschlager and Rice’s advancement.
Collectively, their efforts laid the groundwork for a host of subsequent innovations in basic and clinical research that have transformed patients’ lives while making billions for drug companies and putting enormous strain on health care systems.
Read more…https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/13/lab-breakthrough-hepatitis-c/