The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman. | AP
The duo has been honoured for discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. | AP
"The laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times," the Swedish award-giving body said. | AP
Katalin Kariko was born in 1955 in Szolnok, Hungary.
She was senior vice president and head of RNA protein replacement at BioNTech until 2022 and has since acted as an adviser to the company. | AP
US citizen Drew Weissman was born in 1959 in Lexington, Massachusetts. | AP
Weissman is a professor in vaccine research at the Perelman School. | AP
German biotech firm BioNTech said in June that about 1.5 billion people across the world had received its mRNA shot, co-developed with major drugmaker Pfizer. | AP