Edward C. Taylor, inventor of the cancer drug Alimta, with his wife Virginia, has donated $ 1 million to establish a fund allocation for research in chemistry at Hamilton College. Alimta has been on the market for four and half years. It is approved in 92 countries, including the United States, both for the first line and second-line lung cancer, and is the only drug approved for the treatment of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer caused by the exposure to asbestos. Alimta is also in clinical trials for breast, head, neck and thyroid cancer.
The Taylor created The couple Edward and Virginia Taylor Fund for Student / Faculty of chemistry research at Hamilton College. The fund of $ 1 million has been created to inspire students interested in chemical research and to facilitate their work. The fund will offer students the opportunity to pursue research in organic chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry and other divisions of chemical research from the summer of 09.
in the stages of development and research of Alimta, Princeton laboratory Taylor did not facilities to convert the compound synthesized it into an effective drug. In 1985, a formal partnership between Princeton and Eli Lilly was created with the objective of exploring this new research and development in depth. Hundreds of new compounds were prepared and reviewed; Finally, Taylor came up with a novel compound which was extraordinarily promising. After 12 years of great efforts made by Lilly, this compound has become the new drug against cancer, Alimta.
Starting in 09, Taylor's donation will provide students in Hamilton can follow a similar path of discovery and this donation offers a new global hope for future treatments for devastating diseases.
