GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture by Dr Nicholas Lydon FRS
Dr Nicholas Lydon is the founder of Granite Biopharma LLC
Event details
Nicholas Lydon played a decisive role in the development of Gleevec (Imatinib), a drug that has saved the lives of thousands of patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). In this prize lecture he discusses how the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome provided the first example of a link between cancer and a recurrent genetic abnormality. This chromosomal translocation, which results in activation of the Abl protein kinase, represents the “driver” mutation in CML. The discovery and development of Imatinib provides an early example of the potential of targeted therapy in genetically defined patient populations. Such personalized targeted therapies, if highly selective, may offer advantages such as enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity, and could be used in combination with other agents that independent target other cancer cell dependencies.
The Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize and Lecture is awarded biennially for original contributions to medical and veterinary sciences. Dr Nicholas Lydon FRS was awarded the prize for his development of the drug imatinib, a targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has transformed the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and is a paradigm for cancer drug discovery.
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