British Pharmaceutical Conference 2006
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Hannah Pike, Gemma Cleveland and Dawn
Connelly share
coverage of awards
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The 2006 British Pharmaceutical
Conference and
Exhibition “Personalised medicine in healthcare” took
place at Manchester International Convention Centre from 4 to 6
September
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BPC 2006 reports
|
Scientist's contributions to asthma therapy recognised by award
Millions of people throughout the world owe their quality of life, and in many cases their actual lives, to the work of one scientist and his assistants, Bill Bowman, emeritus professor at University of Strathclyde, told conference participants.
He described the life-long work of Sir David Jack, former research
and development director at Glaxo Holdings, London, whose work in drug
design
and development led to the production of salbutamol, salmeterol,
beclomethasone dipropionate, fluticasone propionate, ranitidine, ondansetron
and
sumatriptan.
Referring to the production of compound preparations, one of Sir David’s
most well known contributions to asthma treatment, Professor Bowman said: “David
Jack’s concept of combining a selective beta2-receptor agonist
in an inhaler together with a topically active steroid that is not absorbed
has revolutionised the control of asthma worldwide, as the current prescribing
of fluticasone with salmeterol, the Seretide inhaler, shows.”
Sir David was awarded the Hanbury Memorial Medal for his work. This gold
medal is awarded every five years by a committee comprising the presidents
of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Linnean Society and the Royal
Society of Chemistry, together with the science chairman of the conference
and one pharmaceutical chemist, for “high excellence in the prosecution
or promotion of original research in the natural history and chemistry
of drugs”.
Professor Bowman added: “David Jack’s approach to drug and
medicine design has taught the world a great deal about the science of
pharmacology. It might be said that his efforts were largely instrumental
in converting Glaxo into one of the most successful pharmaceutical companies
in the world.” |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal