4 Japanese Win Prestigious U.S. Lasker Awards

Tokyo, Sept. 10 (Jiji Press)--Four Japanese nationals have received the Lasker Awards, one of the most prestigious medical awards in the world.

The Lasker Foundation of the United States on Wednesday awarded University of Tsukuba professor Masashi Yanagisawa, 66, who discovered orexin, a brain peptide, in 1998, for the basic medical research division.

The discovery has significantly advanced the understanding of sleep and arousal mechanisms, according to the foundation. His research on transgenic mice lacking orexin found behavioral abnormalities similar to narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by sudden excessive sleepiness, and contributed to the development of a fundamental treatment.

"The honor is more than I deserve," Yanagisawa said in a statement. "The fact that I received the highest academic award for my research in the field of sleep science, which has not attracted much attention, is very encouraging as I hope for further development in this field."

The foundation awarded three researchers from Japan's Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. in the clinical medical research division for their development of Hemlibra, a treatment for hemophilia A.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]