The evolution of cancer research and drugdiscovery at Lilly Research Laboratories

摘要

The early days of anticancer drug discovery were largely guided by opportunitiesmade possible by serendipity. The beginning of cancer research at Lilly ResearchLaboratories was largely influenced by chance opportunity encountered in the then-aligned fields of pharmacology and pharmacognosy when it was observed thatextracts prepared from the leaves of Madagascar periwinkle ( Vinca Rosea Linn G.Don) could produce acute leukopenia in mice. The leaders of this exploratoryprogram at Lilly—Drs. Irving Johnson, Norman Farnsworth, Norbert Neuss, andGordon Slvoboda—soon extended this observation to probe the antitumorproperties of these extracts. They found promise in their initial results and soonembarked on a history-making adventure played out at the extreme practice ofchemistry and biology in the late 1950s. These pioneering studies led to theidentification and structural elucidation of the "Vinca" alkaloids, vincristine andvinblastine. Both agents were brought to clinical development and eventuallyregistered for the treatment of lymphoma and leukemia. They have since becomewidely used to treat cancer.