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Nobel Prize in medicine awarded for discovering Hepatitis C virus

The discovery of the Hepatitis C virus is a milestone in the fight against viral diseases

Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles Rice EPA-EFE/Claudio Bresciani/POOL

Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles Rice

© EPA-EFE/Claudio Bresciani/POOL

STOCKHOLM, October 5. /TASS/. The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to US researchers Harvey Alter and Charles Rice and UK scientist Michael Houghton, the Nobel Assembly at Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute announced on Monday.

The prize was awarded for discovering the Hepatitis C virus, the committee’s decision said.

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"This year’s Nobel Prize is awarded to three scientists who have made a decisive contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world," the assembly explained.

The discovery of the Hepatitis C virus is a milestone in the fight against viral diseases since it allowed to develop highly sensitive blood tests eliminating the risk of infection during blood transfusions. The discovery also launched rapid development of effective pharmaceuticals against Hepatitis C, the experts noted.

Annually, 70 mln people worldwide contract Hepatitis C, while thousands die of this disease.

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