Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai win 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry
In short
Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry, announced Wednesday at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, for work on molecules that exist as mirror images of each other. Kagan showed in the 1980s that reactions could be steered toward one mirror form, and Soai later produced the first reaction yielding only one. The Nobel committee said the work solved a century-old mystery and that the medicines available today would not be possible without it.
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Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry, the Nobel committee announced Wednesday at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The award recognises their work on molecules that exist in mirror-image forms. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Many molecules of life come in versions that look alike but are not identical, like right and left hands, the reports explain. One mirror image of the chemical carvone smells like mint while the other has a whiff of caraway. When designing drugs, scientists need to obtain the version of a molecule they want, the reports said, and the laureates found ways to make chemistry pick a side. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
In the early 1980s, Kagan showed there might be a way to design reactions, using different types of catalysts, to produce a greater excess of one form of a molecule over the other, according to the reports. Years later, Soai designed the first chemical reaction to produce only one of a molecule's mirror images, known as the “Soai reaction.” [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Peter Somfai, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said the discoveries “have reshaped our understanding of molecular chirality — how it is created, amplified and transmitted,” calling it “probably the coolest experiment in organic chemistry.” The committee said that, “other than life itself, no one had previously achieved this feat.” Committee chair Heiner Linke said Kagan and Soai “have provided a solution to a chemical mystery that is over a century old: how homochirality can emerge spontaneously.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Somfai said it would be hard to single out any drug developed with the work, adding: “I would say all of them, because we use this as a tool.” Rigoberto Hernandez said the medicines available today would not be possible without this chemistry. CNN reported the two share the 12 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million) chemistry prize. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at Clarivate's Institute for Scientific Information, said the award recognizes “discoveries whose influence has unfolded over decades” and is “a reminder that transformative advances often emerge from sustained, curiosity-driven research.” CNN described the story as developing and said it would be updated. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The chemistry honoured here is described by the Nobel committee and by outlets as the basis for producing the single mirror form of molecules used in modern drugs, so the award points to research that reaches patients through pharmaceutical development. A research analyst quoted by CNN said the significance of fundamental discoveries may take years or decades to be fully appreciated. The prize is one of the year's most visible scientific awards and draws global attention to asymmetric synthesis.
Key facts
- Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry, announced Wednesday at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Their work concerns chirality, in which molecules exist as non-identical mirror images, like right and left hands [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- In the early 1980s Kagan showed chemical reactions could be manipulated with catalysts to produce a greater excess of one mirror-image molecule [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Soai later designed the first reaction forming only one of two possible mirror images, known as the “Soai reaction” [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Nobel committee said that, “other than life itself,” no one had previously achieved this feat [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- CNN reported the pair share the 12 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million) chemistry prize [ 5 ]
- The Wall Street Journal said the breakthroughs helped advance the development of modern pharmaceuticals [ 7 , 11 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- The award was announced Wednesday at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Nobel committee described the achievement as one never previously reached by anyone “other than life itself” [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Outlets link the work to modern medicine and drug development [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 11 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the prize money is shared equally between the two laureates Only CNN states that the pair share the 12 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million) prize; the other documents do not mention the sum or how it is divided
- The full title and organisation of Rigoberto Hernandez, quoted on the importance of the chemistry The AP text carried by several outlets is truncated mid-sentence at “president of the America…,” so his affiliation is not fully stated
- The content of the Reuters report The Reuters document contains only a headline and no summary or article text
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Associated Press reports that Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for resolving mirror images in chemical molecules [ 1 ]
- The Boston Globe carries the report, adding that Kagan's 1980s work and Soai's later “Soai reaction” are behind the award [ 3 ]
- CNN reports the pair share the 12 million Swedish kronor prize and quotes Nobel committee chair Heiner Linke on a century-old mystery solved [ 5 ]
- NPR summarises the award as recognising non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis [ 6 ]
- The New York Times reports the committee recognised the laureates for solving a century-old mystery about mirror-image molecules in nature [ 9 ]