The 2026 Nobel season opens today: Research on satiety hormones and weight-loss medications are the leading favorites for Medicine

Research into the hormones that regulate hunger and satiety is considered the favorite for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which will be announced on Monday at 12:30 p.m. and will open this year’s Nobel season. The studies have contributed to the development of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Analysts cited by AFP point particularly to research on the GLP-1 hormone, released by the intestine after eating and mimicked by these treatments. David Pendlebury, a representative of Clarivate, believes GLP-1 has the greatest chances because of its global clinical impact.

Researchers frequently mentioned include Canadian endocrinologist Daniel Drucker, Danish physician Jens Juul Holst and American chemist Svetlana Mojsov. Other possible topics are the gut microbiome, stem cells, optical coherence tomography, immune-system adhesion receptors, breast cancer research and DNA sequencing.

The physics prize will be announced on Tuesday, the chemistry prize on Wednesday, and the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday. The Peace Prize, one of the most anticipated, will be announced on Friday in Oslo.