King Faisal Prize honors GLP-1 researcher Svetlana Mojsov and mathematician Carlos Kenig

The 2026 King Faisal Prize named Professor Svetlana Mojsov as the Medicine laureate for her work on glucagon-like peptide-1 and Professor Carlos Kenig as the Science (Mathematics) laureate for contributions to nonlinear partial differential equations.

Riyadh announced the 2026 King Faisal Prize laureates, naming Professor Svetlana Mojsov for Medicine and Professor Carlos Kenig for Science (Mathematics). The announcement emphasized Mojsov's research on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and its role in guiding a new class of medications for diabetes and weight management. It noted Mojsov's identification of the active GLP-1 form and its receptors and referenced patents licensed to a pharmaceutical company that contributed to marketed drugs. The prize also recognized work across Arabic Language & Literature, Islamic Studies, and Service to Islam in the 2026 awards. Key points: - Professor Svetlana Mojsov was named the 2026 King Faisal Prize laureate in Medicine for discoveries related to GLP-1. - The announcement said Mojsov discovered and characterized the biologically active form of GLP-1 and identified its receptors in human organs, and that her work demonstrated how GLP-1 stimulates insulin secretion and affects appetite and glucose regulation. - The article states Mojsov is listed as co-inventor on patents for GLP-1 uses that were licensed to the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk; related medications include products marketed under names such as Victoza, Ozempic, and Rybelsus, and Victoza was approved by the U.S. FDA in 2010. - Professor Carlos Kenig was named the King Faisal Prize in Science (Mathematics) laureate for contributions to nonlinear partial differential equations, harmonic analysis techniques, free boundary problems, and related applications in physics and imaging. - The announcement also named laureates in Arabic Language & Literature, Islamic Studies, and Service to Islam, and said the prizes were announced in Riyadh by HRH Prince Turki Alfaisal and Dr. Abdulaziz Alsebail. - Each King Faisal Prize laureate is awarded USD 200,000, a 24-carat gold medal weighing 200 grams, and a certificate. Summary: The 2026 King Faisal Prize recognized decades of research that the announcement described as influential in medicine and mathematics, along with contributions in literature, Islamic studies, and service to Islam. The awards were presented as part of the prize’s long-running program since 1979 and include stated monetary and ceremonial honors. Undetermined at this time.