Nobel Prize for "test tube" baby creator

Robert Edwards, the British scientist whose pioneering research with his late colleague Patrick Steptoe led to the birth of the world’s first "test tube baby" in 1978, has won this year’s Nobel Prize for medicine.

The Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, which awarded the prize worth ten million Swedish Kronor, described his work as "a milestone of modern medicine".

“His work has made possible the treatment of infertility, a medical condition that affects a large proportion of humanity including more than 10% of couples worldwide," it said in a statement.

The 85-year-old scientist was reported to be too ill to comment, but his wife Ruth and family said they were "thrilled and delighted".

"The success of this research has touched the lives of millions of people worldwide. His dedication and single-minded determination, despite opposition from many quarters, has led to the successful application of his pioneering research," they said.