Sinai Health celebrates Dr. Daniel Drucker’s Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

The Breakthrough Prize, awarded annually with a $3 million prize, recognizes the world’s top scientists working in fundamental sciences, and is often referred to as the "Oscars® of Science".

“The Breakthrough Prize is a thrilling and highly deserved recognition of Dr. Drucker who dedicated his career to understanding how GLP-1, and the medicines based on it, work in the body," said Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras, Director of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Vice President of Research for Sinai Health. "Dr. Drucker's work exemplifies the transformative power of discovery research in advancing medicine for millions of people around the world. We are incredibly proud to count him among our distinguished team at Sinai Health, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to him.”

Daniel J. Drucker, Joel Habener, Jens Juul Holst, Lotte Bjerre Knudsen and Svetlana Mojsov share the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. These five scientists' complementary contributions – from basic hormone discovery through physiological understanding to pharmaceutical development – have led to highly effective drugs for diabetes and obesity, ushering in a new era of GLP-1 medicines for cardiometabolic disorders. Between them, their breakthroughs include: the discovery of the gene encoding the GLP-1 hormone; the synthesis, isolation and characterization of the hormone’s biologically active forms; the demonstration that it is produced in the gut and stimulates insulin production; elucidation of its broader physiological roles, including control of appetite and energy homeostasis; the development of a more stable version of the hormone that continues to act in the body for days rather than hours; and its translation into a new class of drugs that is transforming the treatment of metabolic diseases affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Dr. Drucker was honored at an awards ceremony that will be globally broadcast, celebrating the recipients achievements and inspiring the next generation of scientists. 

For his breakthrough discoveries of the biological actions of GLP-1, Dr. Drucker has received the Canada Gairdner International Award (2021), the Wolf Prize in Medicine (2023), and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most influential People in 2024.

About Sinai Health

Sinai Health is comprised of Mount Sinai Hospital, Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and its system partner Circle of Care. It delivers excellent care in hospital, community and home, focusing on the comprehensive needs of people. Sinai Health discovers and translates scientific breakthroughs, pushes boundaries for health solutions and educates future clinical and scientific leaders. Clinical areas of specialization include rehabilitation and complex continuing care, surgery and oncology, urgent and critical care, and women’s and infants’ health. Its Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute ranks among the top ten biomedical research institutes in the world. Sinai Health is a full affiliate of the University of Toronto. www.sinaihealth.ca

Contact

Jennifer Specht 
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Jennifer.Specht@sinaihealth.ca