Louise Brown, in a joint statement with her mother Lesley, said: “It’s fantastic news, me and mum are so glad that one of the pioneers of IVF (in vitro fertilisation) has been given the recognition he deserves.
“We hold Bob in great affection and are delighted to send our personal congratulations to him and his family at this time.”
Louise’s birth in 1978 was the first to stem from the ground-breaking work of Edwards and Patrick Steptoe, a gynaecologic surgeon.
She is now a mother herself, having given birth by natural means.
Although Edwards, now 85, is too frail to give interviews, his wife Ruth said the family was “thrilled and delighted” at the honour.
“The success of this research has touched the lives of millions of people worldwide,” she said.
“His dedication and single-minded determination despite opposition from many quarters has led to successful application of his pioneering research.”
Edwards and Steptoe, who died in 1988, developed IVF technology in which egg cells are fertilised outside the body and implanted in the womb.
Congratulations poured in from across Britain’s science community and from colleagues of Edwards – although some wondered why it had taken so long for the Nobel committee to recognise his work.
Mike Macnamee, chief executive of Bourne Hall, near Cambridge, the IVF clinic which Edwards founded, said: “Edwards is one of our greatest scientists.”
Martin Johnson, Professor of Reproductive Sciences at the Cambridge University, where Edwards carried out his pioneering research, said: “I am absolutely delighted. This is long overdue.”
Gulf Daily