Temozolomide - the birth of a blockbuster

Temozolomide is one of the latest drugs to gain blockbuster status and it is also the treatment of choice for some of the most malignant and intractable of brain tumours. There has been a new publication in the journal Chemistry World which describes how our Emeritus Professor, Malcolm Stevens FRS, went about developing this drug over the last 30 years (visit the link, below, to see the publication).

Malcolm is still at Nottingham University, developing temozolomide analogues and molecules with similar, nitrogen-rich, heterocyclic structures that might have even better antitumour activity. He is now also chief scientific officer of an innovative drug discovery company, Pharminox, which has further molecules with novel mechanisms in late stage pre-clinical development and Phase I clinical trials.  

www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/restricted/2009/July/TemozolomideBirthOfABlockbuster.asp