Svetlana Mojisov, the scientist who discovered the GLP-1 hormone used in anti-diabetic drugs and weight loss injections (and was nearly erased from history)

In addition to the science award, Mojisov has received other honors, including being named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024.

But history was about to forget her.

Mojisov describes himself as a Yugoslav of Macedonian origin.

“I was born in the city of Skopje, in what is now northern Macedonia, and my family moved to Belgrade when I was 10 years old,” he said.

It was at secondary school in Belgrade that he became interested in science. “We learned about chemistry and physics, and classes were followed by experiments.”

“I was completely fascinated by how two or more compounds could be mixed together to create completely new compounds with completely different properties,” she added.

“My teachers noticed my passion and were very supportive, but I didn’t really think about my career in high school. But when I was at the University of Belgrade, it was clear that I wanted to be a scientist, and my teachers there were also very supportive.”

His research on GLP-1 began in the 1970s while studying glucagon, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels.

“I gained a very good understanding of the biology of glucagon. In fact, it was my work with glucagon that set the stage for the discovery of GLP-1 as an incretin.”

Early in his career, Mojisov found inspiration in the story of a doctor who was one of the first diabetics to receive insulin in the 1920s.

“He went blind. He was a very good scientist and ran a lab. Even when he went blind, he was able to do experiments with the help of his research assistants. That story really moved me, and I think subconsciously that was a big impetus for us to try to develop drugs for diabetes,” he said.

After changing jobs, Mojisov made important discoveries, building on the foundations laid by the research of others.

“In the summer of 1983, I accepted a position as an independent investigator in the endocrinology unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and around the same time, Graham Bell and his colleagues published the seminal paper that led to my discovery,” she said.

“So I was at the right time and the right place to do it.”

Bell led the research team at Chiron, California, and was the one who coined the name GLP-1.

But we had to take the next step and ask, “What does GLP-1 actually do?”

Proteins like GLP-1 are made up of building blocks called amino acids. So imagine them as pearls on a thread.

“The sequence of GLP-1 was flanked by two amino acids known to function as signals to release biologically active peptides. And based on the position of the signals, Bell proposed that GLP-1 is a new biologically active peptide containing 37 amino acids,” he said.

“Other researchers in the field agreed with that conclusion.”

GLP-1 contains 37 of these pearls of amino acids. Therefore, each bead on the string has a consecutive number from 1 to 37.

Mojisov saw 37 pearls and realized something.

“When we looked at the predicted sequence of GLP-1, we realized that it contained a hidden signal, and that hidden signal would release a short peptide similar to glucagon, and it would be that short peptide that would be biologically active.”

“I named it GLP-1-7-37, and I predicted at the time that GLP-1-7-37 was an incretin,” he explained.

So, returning to the beads on the string, Mojisov realized that the first six beads were not very useful.

The real action started with pearl number 7 and continued until pearl 37.

Through extensive experiments, scientists have proven that this is an incretin hormone that stimulates the release of insulin and lowers blood sugar levels.

Their findings were published in an influential paper in the mid-1980s.

Scientists have since agreed that GLP-1, 7-37 should be known simply as GLP-1.

Mojisov hoped his discovery would help others make new advances.

“After that, I was convinced that this could become a drug. I knew it would be difficult. 7-37 has a very short half-life, so it couldn’t be used as a drug on its own. But I was sure there would be drug companies interested in it.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

Mojisov laid the groundwork for a huge discovery and successfully fought the legal battle to be listed as a co-inventor, although he was not initially included in the GLP-1 related patents.

Over the years, what she believed happened. Pharmaceutical companies initially produced highly effective drugs for diabetes.

However, in addition to its original use, the drug is also prescribed to suppress appetite, and its popularity has skyrocketed, particularly for the treatment of obesity.

Millions of people around the world began using drugs like Ozempic and Wegoby, generating millions of dollars in profits for companies and transforming the way diabetes and obesity are treated.

By 2023, amid exploding sales, some of Mojisov’s male colleagues were interviewing and winning various scientific awards. There were even rumors that they might win the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Once again, the researcher had to come forward to defend her important scientific role in the discovery.

Science magazine, one of the first outlets to cover his work, wrote at the time that “Mojisov’s story raises troubling questions about scientific endeavors, including how credit is distributed and award decisions are made.”

He added: “Several experts in the field of obesity and diabetes (including the expert known for the discovery of GLP-1) have expressed displeasure that Mojisov has almost completely disappeared from the story. However, few have spoken out about her position.”

“Even though I published two of the most influential papers in this field, I was not recognized at first,” Mojisov told the BBC. “The first two papers really opened up the field for further research, and many other scientists have since contributed.”

“Why didn’t they recognize me? I don’t know.”

She added, “I’m often asked if it’s difficult to tell whether it’s because of my gender or because I’m a woman.”

Nevertheless, today he looks back on his work with pride and no disappointment.

“In fact, I don’t think there was a bad moment because all the experiments went well, which is sometimes quite unusual, because it is inevitable that some experiments will not work.”

“But everything went well and my hypothesis over the course of seven years was confirmed by each result. So I think there were only good moments. There was nothing bad.”

How do you feel knowing that you discovered GLP-1?

“Oh, I’m so happy!”

*This article is based on “Witness History,” a program about Svetlana Mojisov that can be listened to entirely in English. here.

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