2026 Lasker Awards Honor Breakthroughs in Sleep, Hemophilia and Parkinson’s Research

The 2026 Lasker Awards, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in biomedical science and often described as a “bellwether for the Nobel Prize,” have officially been announced.

This year’s laureates are being recognized for groundbreaking contributions spanning the biology of sleep, the treatment of hemophilia A, and efforts to accelerate research into Parkinson’s disease.

2026 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award

Emmanuel Mignot of Stanford University and Masashi Yanagisawa of the University of Tsukuba have been honored for identifying orexin, a brain peptide that promotes and maintains wakefulness, and for discovering that orexin deficiency causes the uncontrolled sleep characteristic of narcolepsy.

Their work revealed a fundamental mechanism underlying sleep and opened an entirely new field of research into the biology of sleep.

The discovery of orexin and its role in narcolepsy came as a complete surprise, with no prior knowledge or hypothesis pointing directly toward the finding. It stands as a classic example of scientific reinvention—an unexpected discovery that fundamentally reshaped understanding of one of the most basic aspects of human biology.

Sleep, alongside food and sex, is one of the three fundamental pillars of human existence. The discovery of the orexin system has also led to important therapeutic advances. Several drugs that block orexin receptors have been approved to treat insomnia, while an orexin receptor-2 agonist for narcolepsy has reached late-stage development.

2026 Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award

Kunihiro Hattori, Tomoyuki Igawa and Takehisa Kitazawa of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. in Tokyo have received the award for inventing a bispecific antibody that links blood-clotting Factors IX and X.

The antibody restores the function normally provided by Factor VIII in patients with hemophilia A, thereby preventing the severe bleeding associated with the inherited disorder.

The scientists’ vision, creativity and technical ingenuity led to the development of a Factor VIII-mimetic bispecific IgG antibody, Hemlibra® (emicizumab). The breakthrough represents a striking example of scientific reimagination, fundamentally reframing conventional approaches to hemophilia treatment.

Historically, treatment relied on plasma replacement and/or plasma-derived Factor VIII concentrates. Many patients subsequently developed hepatitis, HIV infection and/or neutralizing antibodies against Factor VIII, while bleeding was often inadequately controlled.

Hemlibra® transformed the treatment landscape. It became the first bispecific IgG antibody approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for therapeutic use in 2017 and has virtually eliminated bleeding in many patients with hemophilia A, including those who have developed Factor VIII inhibitors.

The treatment has since been approved in more than 120 countries and has improved the quality of life of more than 30,000 people worldwide.

2026 Lasker–Bloomberg Public Service Award

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has been honored for amplifying the voices of patients and accelerating research aimed at developing better therapies and ultimately finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

The award recognizes the foundation’s role in bringing patients, scientists, clinicians, industry leaders and donors together in the search for new treatments.

As a young actor, Michael J. Fox rose to international stardom through his leading roles in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990) and the hit NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989). In 1990, at the age of 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He publicly disclosed his diagnosis in 1998, helping challenge the stigma surrounding the disease.

In 2000, Fox established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The organization has since become a major force in Parkinson’s research, mobilizing scientists, clinicians, industry leaders, philanthropists and patients around the shared goal of developing new therapies and, ultimately, finding a cure.

More than 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s disease. Approximately 1% of adults aged 60 and older are affected, with prevalence rising to about 3% among people aged 80.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is now the world’s largest nonprofit/private funder of Parkinson’s research, having awarded approximately $3 billion in research grants to date. Its annual research funding exceeds that of the U.S. government.

Beyond its role as a major funder, the foundation has also become a key coordinator of Parkinson’s clinical research, helping recruit and engage volunteers for clinical trials.

Why the Lasker Awards Matter

Established in 1946, the Lasker Awards are among the most prestigious honors in biomedical science in the United States. They recognize scientists, physicians and public-service leaders whose work has made major contributions to medicine and human health.

The awards traditionally span several categories, including the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, the Lasker–Bloomberg Public Service Award, and the Lasker Special Achievement Award in Medical Science.

The Lasker Awards are also closely watched because of their strong track record of recognizing scientists who later receive the Nobel Prize. Over the past two decades, more than 30 Lasker laureates have subsequently gone on to win a Nobel Prize.

A notable recent example is Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, whose work on AlphaFold earned them the 2023 Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. Just one year later, they were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

For this reason, the Lasker Awards are often viewed as an important indicator of scientific breakthroughs that may go on to receive the field’s highest international recognition.