Nobel win is ‘great day for Irish science’

An Irish scientist has won the Nobel prize in medicine for his work combating river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.

William C Campbell, 85, who was born in Ramelton, Co Donegal, and later attended Trinity College Dublin, was awarded the prize at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

As joint recipient, he won the award alongside Japan’s Satoshi ¯Omura for developing avermectin, a drug which has lowered the incidence of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis across Africa and Asia.