Thein, who is chief and senior investigator of the Sickle Cell Branch at the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, shared the award with Dr. Stuart H. Orkin, the David G. Nathan Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, according to The Star.

Thein and Orkin’s work contributed to the development of Casgevy, regarded as the first functional cure for sickle cell disease and severe beta-thalassemia, according to Malay Mail.

The treatment works by reactivating fetal hemoglobin, a form of hemoglobin present before birth that does not cause the harmful cell damage associated with these disorders. Their research focused on blocking BCL11A, a gene regulator that typically turns off fetal hemoglobin as children grow.

Malaysian scientist Swee Lay Thein. Photo courtesy of the U.S.'s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Thein described the recognition as a major honor.

"To be the first Malaysian to receive this recognition is not just a personal milestone – it belongs to everyone who believed in me, mentored me and to the country that shaped me," The Star quoted her as saying.

"I hope it will send a message to young people in Malaysia and across South-East Asia that their background does not define what they can achieve.

"Only their dedication and hunger to ask the next question does."

Born in Kuantan, eastern Malaysia, Thein, 74, studied medicine at the University of Malaya before building her research career in the U.K. and the U.S. She previously received the 2024 Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine for the same discovery.

Now in its 14th year, the Breakthrough Prize, often referred to as the "Oscars of Science," recognizes leading scientists worldwide. Each prize is valued at $3 million and awarded in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics, and Mathematics.

The awards were founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki, and are funded through their respective foundations.