Svetlana Moisov, the forgotten discoverer of Ozempic, now recognized by the Princess of Asturias.

The Princess of Asturias Award is not the first time three of the five winners have been recognized for their work in developing a stellar drug, but it is the first time an international award has fully recognized the contributions of biochemist Svetlana Moisov.

For this reason, the award also aims to give credit where credit is due. A researcher now at The Rockefeller University in New York played a crucial role in its early development. Decades ago, in the 70s and 80s, he participated in discovery of GLP-1, a hormone that suppresses appetite and is at the heart of the success of best-selling Ozempic or Wegovy. Also key were the studies of Joel Habener of Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, Daniel Drucker of the University of Toronto (Canada), Jens Juhl Holst of the University of Copenhagen and Jeffrey Friedman, the other winners. But in the scientific narrative of the discovery, Moisov was almost always left out.

Lack of recognition also affected his career. He never ran his own laboratory or received significant and ongoing funding. Having married a star immunologist, she chose to remain in the shadows. He preferred to help his younger colleagues focus on their work. Although over the years, Moisov changed his attitude and began to fight for recognition.

Encouraged by other colleagues and the commercial success of the drugs, she began to fight to change her business. A chemist friend requested a correction from The New York Times after she was not included in a report on the Ozempic study. And the researcher herself also protested her omission in an article in the scientific journal Nature, which she finally had to correct. As Cell, another science bible, did in a similar article about research into the anti-obesity miracle.

Moisov, Habener and Jens Juul almost simultaneously discovered the hormone GLP-1 in the digestive system. But the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) group was the first to test the molecule as an appetite suppressant in humans. Habener administered the peptide to healthy people and diabetics. So he tested how GLP-1 causes insulin to be released when glucose levels rise, such as after a meal. This is why Moisov was considered a supporting actress and Joel Habener was considered the first to realize the importance of GLP-1.

Patent fight

But the story of Ozempic’s discovery goes beyond the search for professional recognition. This is also the story of a patent fight that involves a lot of money.

The law requires making a “minor” contribution to the “concept of the claimed invention,” rather than simply conducting experiments. The dispute with the patent office of all the researchers dragged on for years after they received a license from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which ultimately developed the drugs.

The first beneficiary was Habener until it was decided to include Moisov between 2004 and 2006. Holst and Drucker claim that they have never benefited financially from GLP-1 agonists.

Science magazine recalled that for years the only clue to Moisov’s relationship with the Novo Nordisk bestseller was a yellow pen lying on his desk with the name of a Danish pharmaceutical company’s diabetes drug printed on it.

Holistic effect

Beyond the struggle to be recognized for great progress, there is little doubt that Ozempic is an excellent drug, with all its lights and shadows. Not only because it can tackle a complex disease like obesity, but also because of its holistic effect. Every day, research is emerging revealing new benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, benefits for the liver, kidneys, addiction treatment, and even the ability to combat cognitive decline or anorexia nervosa.

Is this a miracle cure? Time will show.