2 teams to be honored for revolutionary diabetes treatments

According to the International Diabetes Federation, about 10.5 percent of the adult worldwide population (20-79 years) has diabetes, with almost half unaware they have it. One in 8 adults are projected to have diabetes by 2045.

The 2024 IPO Education Foundation’s Inventor of the Year award goes to two teams of inventors who have revolutionized diabetes treatments. Their treatments began by first identifying novel compounds targeting incretin hormones. 

Honorees are the inventors of Mounjaro, from Indianapolis-based international pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Co., and Ozempic, from Danish multinational pharma company Novo Nordisk. 

Mounjaro® is a once-weekly injection that helps the pancreas release more insulin, lowering the amount of sugar the liver makes and slowing the rate food passes through the body to make a person feel full longer. Eli Lilly honorees are Bengt Krister Bokvist, Tamer Coskun, Robert Chadwick Cummins and Jorge Alsina-Fernandez. 

Ozempic® is a medicine for adults with Type 2 diabetes that may improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, or death. Novo Nordisk award recipients are Paw Bloch, Thomas Kruse Hansen and Jesper Lau. 

The IPO Education Foundation will honor the inventors during the December 12 IPO awards celebration at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.