Daniel Joshua Drucker (born 23 June 1956)^[1] is a Canadian endocrinologist renowned for his breakthrough discoveries of the biological actions of glucagon-like peptides GLP-1 and GLP-2, including GLP-1's key role in stimulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion,^[3] reducing food intake,^[4] protecting the heart,^[5] and reducing systemic inflammation.^[6] His scientific research has been a driving force in GLP-1's journey from a newly discovered peptide sequence to the mechanism behind globally used and life-changingtherapeutics for type 2 diabetes and obesity. It has also driven transformativenew therapeutics for intestinal failure and other metabolic disorders.^[7] AFellow of the Royal Society,^[8] and laureate of the 2023Wolf Prize in Medicine, he is a University Professor of Medicine at theUniversity of Toronto and Senior Investigator at theLunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute,Sinai Health,Toronto.

Drucker was born and grew up in Montreal, went to high school in Ottawa, and then enrolled at theUniversity of Ottawa, studying science.^[9] In 1976, he moved to Toronto, where he studied medicine at theUniversity of Toronto, graduating in 1980. He completed his internship atJohns Hopkins Hospital (1980–81), and completed hisinternal medicine andendocrinology residencies at theUniversity of Toronto (1981–84).^[9]

In 1984, Drucker began his research career atMassachusetts General Hospital andHarvard Medical School, studying molecular endocrinology in the lab of ProfessorJoel Habener with the support from a Medical Research Council of Canada Centennial Fellowship. Drucker’s independent discoveries in Boston included the demonstration thatproglucagon could be cleaved into multipleglucagon-like peptides, including several distinct isoforms ofGLP-1.^[10] He then discovered that the truncated form of GLP-1(7-37) directly stimulatedcyclic AMP formation,insulin secretion, and insulingene expression; notably, it did so only when glucose levels were elevated.^[3][11]

In 1987 Drucker returned to Toronto, taking on the position of Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and continuing his research on the glucagon-like peptides while also working as a physician. In 1996, Drucker was one of several investigators who demonstrated that GLP-1 reduced food intake in preclinical studies. Notably, the experiments in the Drucker lab demonstrated that this action of GLP-1 in the brain required the functional canonical GLP-1 receptor.^[4] Drucker, together with colleagues at Tufts Universities, filed multiple patents describing the utility of targeting theDPP-4 enzyme, and published studies demonstrating that genetic or chemical inactivation of DPP-4 prevented degradation of GLP-1 and GIP, supporting the development ofDPP-4 inhibitors for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.^[12][13] In all, Drucker's discovery science has led to 33 issued US patents supporting translational drug development efforts in the field of peptide based therapeutics. Collectively, the body of work from multiple investigators and companies led to the development of two leading classes ofdiabetes medications:GLP-1 receptor agonists andDPP4 inhibitors.^[9]

In 1996, Drucker also discovered the first biological actions for GLP-2, demonstrating that it augmented crypt cell proliferation and expansion of the mucosal epithelium in thesmall bowel of mice and rats.^[14] He subsequently identified and characterized a DPP-4-resistant molecule, teduglutide,^[15] that was ultimately developed and approved for the treatment ofshort bowel syndrome in adults and children, a disorder in which fluids are poorly absorbed afterresection of the small intestine.^[9][16][17]

Drucker joined the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto in 2006. In 2008 he led studies aimed at the development and testing of the first long-acting, once-weekly version of the diabetes medicationexenatide.^[18] He later studied the long-term effects of related weight-loss medicines on bowel health.^[19] Drucker has also led the identification of the cardioprotective mechanisms of GLP-1 action. Notably, in 2009 he demonstrated in mice that these effects were not dependent on glucose lowering or weight loss^[5] – findings confirmed over a decade later in cardiovascular outcome trials. His discoveries predicted the safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists for their expanding applications to treat obesity and other chronic conditions. Most recently, Drucker has identified multiple mechanisms linking GLP-1 to the reduction of inflammation^[6][20].

Drucker holds the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre-Novo Nordisk Chair inIncretin Biology. His many national and international recognitions include the 2023Wolf Prize in Medicine, awarded for "pioneering work in elucidating the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of enteroendocrine hormones," as well as theWarren Alpert Foundation Prize and theCanada Gairdner International Award, among numerous others. Drucker was elected a Royal Society Fellow in 2015, a National Academy of Sciences International Member in 2021and a National Academy of Medicine International Member in 2023. In 2024, he was named amongTime magazine's 100 most influential people.

• 2007Donald F. Steiner Award for Outstanding Diabetes Research,University of Chicago
• 2008Prix Galien Canada for Outstanding Pharmaceutical Research
• 2009 Clinical Investigator Award,Endocrine Society
• 2012Claude Bernard Prize,European Association for the Study of Diabetes
• 2012 Fellow of theRoyal Society of Canada
• 2013 Oon International Award for Preventative Medicine,University of Cambridge
• 2014Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement,American Diabetes Association
• 2014 Manpei Suzuki Foundation International Prize for Diabetes, Japan
• 2015 Fellow of theRoyal Society
• 2015 Officer of theOrder of Canada
• 2017 Rolf Luft Award in Endocrinology and Diabetes Research,Karolinska Institute
• 2017 Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine,American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Harrington Institute (co-recipient withJoel Habener andJens Juul Holst)
• 2019 Harold Hamm International Prize for Biomedical Research in Diabetes
• 2019Novo Nordisk Foundation andEuropean Association for the Study of Diabetes Prize for Excellence in Diabetes Research (watch themini documentary about Drucker produced by the Novo Nordisk Foundation for the occasion)
• 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, Helmholtz Diabetes Centre, Germany
• 2020 John Baxter Award for Entrepreneurship,Endocrine Society
• 2020 Transatlantic Medal,Society for Endocrinology
• 2020Warren Alpert Foundation Prize for Biomedical Research (co-recipient withJoel Habener andJens Juul Holst)
• 2021 International Member,National Academy of Sciences
• 2021Canada Gairdner International Award (co-recipient withJoel Habener andJens Juul Holst)
• 2022 Inductee of theCanadian Medical Hall of Fame
• 2023Wolf Prize in Medicine
• 2023 International Member of theNational Academy of Medicine
• 2023VinFuture Prize for Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields (co-recipient withJoel Habener,Jens Juul Holst andSvetlana Mojsov)
• 2024Princess of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research (co-recipient withJeffrey M. Friedman,Joel Habener,Jens Juul Holst andSvetlana Mojsov)
• 2024 Time100 Most Influential People and Time100 Health
• 2024 Golden Plate Award,American Academy of Achievement
• 2024 Fred Conrad Koch Lifetime Achievement Award,Endocrine Society
• 2024 TOPS Research Achievement Award,The Obesity Society
• 2025 Warren Triennial Prize,Massachusetts General Hospital (co-recipient withJoel Habener andSvetlana Mojsov)
• 2025BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine (co-recipient withJoel Habener,Jens Juul Holst andSvetlana Mojsov)
• 2025 Solomon A. Berson Award, American Physiology Society
• 2025Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (co-recipient withJoel Habener,Jens Juul Holst,Svetlana Mojsov andLotte Bjerre Knudsen)

• Drucker, D. J.; Philippe, J; Mojsov, S; Chick, W. L.; Habener, J. F. (1987)."Glucagon-like peptide I stimulates insulin gene expression and increases cyclic AMP levels in a rat islet cell line".Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.84 (10):3434–8.Bibcode:1987PNAS...84.3434D.doi:10.1073/pnas.84.10.3434.PMC 304885.PMID 3033647.
• Scrocchi, L.S.; Brown, T.J.; Maclusky, N.; Brubaker, P.L.; Auerbach, A.B.; Joyner, A.L.; Drucker, D.J. (1996)."Glucose intolerance but normal satiety in mice with a null mutation in the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor gene".Nature Medicine.2 (11):1254–1258.doi:10.1038/nm1196-1254.PMID 8898756.
• Drucker, D.J.; Ehrlich, P.; Asa, S. L.; Brubaker, P.L. (1996)."Induction of intestinal epithelial proliferation by glucagon-like peptide 2".Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.93 (15):7911–7916.Bibcode:1996PNAS...93.7911D.doi:10.1073/pnas.93.15.7911.PMC 38848.PMID 38848.
• Chen, E.; Drucker, D.J. (1997)."Tissue-specific expression of unique mRNAs that encode proglucagon-derived peptides or exendin 4 in the lizard".Journal of Biological Chemistry.272 (7):4108–15.doi:10.1074/jbc.272.7.4108.PMID 9020121.
• Drucker, D.J.; Shi, Q.; Crivici, A.; Sumner-Smith, M.; Tavares, W.; Hill, M.; DeForest, L.; Cooper, S.; Brubaker, P.L. (1997)."Regulation of the biological activity of glucagon-like peptide 2 in vivo by dipeptidyl peptidase IV".Nature Biotechnology.93 (15):7911–6.doi:10.1038/nbt0797-673.PMID 9219272.
• Yusta, B; Baggio, L.L.; Estall, J.L.; Koehler, J.A.; Holland, D.P.; Li, H; Pipeleers, D; Ling, Z; Drucker, D.J. (2006)."GLP-1 receptor activation improves beta cell function and survival following induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress".Cell Metabolism.4 (5):391–406.doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2006.10.001.PMID 17084712.
• Drucker, D. J.; Buse, J. B.; Taylor, K.; Kendall, D. M.; Trautmann, M.; Zhuang, D.; Porter, L. (2008). "Exenatide once weekly versus twice daily for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: A randomised, open-label, non-inferiority study".The Lancet.372 (9645):1240–1250.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61206-4.PMID 18782641.S2CID 12667840.
• Kim, M.; Platt, M.; Shibasaki, T.; Quaggin, S.; Backx, P.H.; Seino, S.; Simpson, J.; Drucker, D.J. (2013)."GLP-1 receptor activation and Epac2 link atrial natriuretic peptide secretion to control of blood pressure".Nature Medicine.19 (5):567–575.doi:10.1038/nm.3128.PMID 23542788.
• Wong, C.K.; Yusta, B.; Koehler, J.A.; Baggio, L.L.; McLean, B.A.; Matthews, D.; Seeley, R.J.; Drucker, D.J. (2022)."Divergent roles for the gut intraepithelial lymphocyte GLP-1R in control of metabolism, microbiota, and T cell-induced inflammation".Cell Metabolism.34 (10):1514–1531.doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2022.08.003.PMID 36027914.
• Wong, C.K.; MacLean, B.A.; Baggio, L.L.; Koehler, J.A.; Hammoud, R.; Rittig, N.; Yabut, J.M.; Seeley, R.J.; Brown, T.K.; Drucker, D.J. (2024)."Central glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor activation inhibits Toll-like receptor agonist-induced inflammation".Cell Metabolism.36 (1):130–143.doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2023.11.009.PMID 38113888.

• "Dr. Daniel J. Drucker". MyThyroid.com.

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