North Andover Man, 85, Among 2015 Nobel Medicine Prize Winners

Photo Credit: Drew University

A Massachusetts man has been awarded one of the most coveted honors in the world: a Nobel Prize.

William Campbell, of North Andover, joins two others from around the world in being awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in medicine. Satoshi Omura of Japan, and Youyou Tu of China join him in the honor.

Listen below to an interview with Campbell. He discusses his work, and sounds surprised that he will be traveling to Stockholm in December to receive the Nobel Prize.

Tu was awarded the 2015 Nobel prize ‬in Physiology or Medicine ”for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.” The other half of the Prize is shared jointly between William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura ”for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites,” according to Nobel officials.

Diseases caused by parasites have plagued humankind for millennia and constitute a major global health problem, according to the Nobel committee. In particular, parasitic diseases affect the world’s poorest populations and represent a huge barrier to improving human health and wellbeing.

This year’s Nobel Laureates have developed therapies that have revolutionized the treatment of some of the most devastating parasitic diseases.

Campbell and Ōmura discovered a new drug, Avermectin, the derivatives of which have radically lowered the incidence of River Blindness and Lymphatic Filariasis, as well as showing efficacy against an expanding number of other parasitic diseases.

Tu discovered Artemisinin, a drug that has significantly reduced the mortality rates for patients suffering from Malaria.

These two discoveries have provided humankind with powerful new means to combat these debilitating diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually, according to the Nobel committee. The consequences in terms of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable.

Campbell was born in Ireland but is a U.S. citizen who spent 33 years working for Merck, mostly in New Jersey, After his retirement from Merck in 1990 he joined a research institute at Drew University, accordng to whdh.com. He now lives in North Andover, and says his honor is the result of a team effort by researchers at Merck.

At age 85, Campbell is among the oldest Nobel winners in history, across all fields. Only 15 winners in the prize’s history have been Cambell’s age or older. A total of 106 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded between 1901 and 2015, with only 38 Laureates winning the prize individually.

The youngest Nobel winner in the field of medicine was just 32 - Frederick Banting, in 1932, for his discovery of Insulin. Campbell competed for oldest laureate in the field, but was bested by the 1966 winner Peyton Rous, who was 87 at the time.

Campbell is planning on traveling to Stockholm on Dec. 10 for the award ceremony.

Listen below to an interview with Campbell: