Research into hormones that regulate appetite is seen leading the race for the Nobel Prize in Medicine, to be awarded Monday -- the first in this year's Nobel season.

At a time when more than one billion people suffer from obesity, research into the hormone called "glucagon-like peptide 1" (GLP-1) could be given the nod for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine this year, experts said.

A new generation of drugs using GLP-1 agonists -- including blockbuster brands Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro -- has provided a valuable tool to fight obesity and diabetes globally.

"Many are guessing that it (the Nobel Prize in Medicine) will go to the people behind GLP-1," Lars Brostrom, science editor at public broadcaster Sveriges Radio, told AFP.

That could help researchers from major US instituti

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