Bengt Samuelsson

Bengt Samuelsson shared the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sune Bergström and John R. Vane. They were awarded the prize for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning prostaglandins and related biologically active substances.

Discovered by Samuelsson, leukotrienes are lipid mediators produced in the body that play a major role in the inflammatory response. They are particularly famous for their involvement in asthma and allergic reactions, as they cause the airways in the lungs to constrict.

His elucidation of the leukotriene biosynthetic pathway directly led to the development of a new class of asthma drugs. Specifically, his work paved the way for anti-leukotriene medications, such as Merck's Singulair (montelukast), which block these inflammatory chemicals.

Samuelsson spent the vast majority of his academic and research career at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He later served as the dean of the medical faculty and eventually became the rector of the prestigious institution.