Sir James W. Black was a Scottish pharmacologist
who won a share of the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988. He developed the beta
blocker, propranolol, which is used for the treatment of heart disease and also
developed cimetidine, a H2 receptor antagonist, a drug to treat stomach ulcers.
His discoveries are credited to have changed the practice of cardiology, and
the drugs he developed are among the most prescribed in the world. The son of a
mining engineer, he grew up to be a carefree and happy youth with no serious
ambitions in life. As a teenager, he was persuaded into sitting for the
competitive entrance examination for St Andrews University which he easily
cleared, winning the Patrick Hamilton Residential Scholarship. He proceeded to
study medicine and graduated with an MB ChB in 1946. However, he had no
interest in practicing medicine and was more inclined towards academics and
research. After spending a few years in Singapore, he joined the University of
Glasgow (Veterinary School) in Scotland where he went on to establish the
Physiology Department. Eventually he shifted to research and developed
propranolol while working for ICI Pharmaceuticals. Another major drug,
cimetidine, was developed during his stint at Smith, Kline and French. His
pioneering work in drug development earned him several prestigious awards
including the Lasker award and the Nobel Prize.
Career
·
By the time of his
graduation from medical school, he was convinced that he did not want to
practice medicine. Thus, he stayed at the University College for a short while
as an assistant lecturer.
·
He moved to Singapore
in 1947 and accepted a position as a Lecturer at the King Edward VII College of
Medicine. After three years, he went to London where he met Professor R.C.
Garry who helped him in getting an appointment at the University of Glasgow
(Veterinary School).
·
The post was a
challenging one and Black proceeded to establish the Physiology Department from
scratch. During this time, he also built a research laboratory providing the
most advanced cardiovascular technology and developed an interest in the
effects of the hormone adrenaline on the human heart.
·
In 1958, he joined ICI
Pharmaceuticals. His years with the company were very exciting and led to some
extraordinary discoveries in medical science. He collaborated with scientists
in his team to develop propranolol which is a beta blocker used for the
treatment of heart disease. The discovery of propranolol is considered one of
the greatest breakthroughs in the treatment of heart disease.
·
Along with the
development of propranolol, James W. Black was also working on developing a
similar method of treatment for stomach ulcers. However, ICI was not interested
in pursuing research in this direction. Thus, Black resigned in 1964 and joined
Smith, Kline and French.
·
While working at
Smith, Kline and French, he developed the drug, cimetidine, a histamine H2
receptor antagonist, which was launched under the brand name Tagamet in 1975.
The drug, used in the treatment of heartburn and peptic ulcers, eventually
became the world's largest-selling prescription drug.
·
In 1973, he was
appointed professor, and head of department, of pharmacology at University
College London. There he established a new undergraduate course in medicinal
chemistry.
·
In 1977, he was
invited by the prominent English pharmacologist, Sir John Vane, to join the
Wellcome Research Laboratories as the director of therapeutic research. There
he established a small academic research unit before leaving in 1984.
·
He then joined the
Rayne Institute of King's College London medical school as a Professor of
Analytical Pharmacology, a post he held until 1992 before becoming the
Chancellor of the University of Dundee.
·
He was a popular
figure within the University and his retirement in 2006 was marked by the
inauguration of the £20 million Sir James Black Centre, intended to promote
interdisciplinary research in the life sciences.
Major Works
·
Sir James W. Black
developed propranolol, the beta adrenergic receptor antagonist used in
treatment of heart disease. His discovery of the drug is considered one of the
greatest breakthroughs in heart disease treatments and is counted amongst the
most important contributions to medical science and pharmacology of the 20th
century.
Awards &
Achievements
·
He was the recipient
of several prestigious awards: Lasker award (1976), Artois-Baillet Latour
Health Prize (1979), and the Wolf Prize in Medicine (1982), among others.
·
He was made a Knight
Bachelor in 1981 for services to medical research.
·
Sir James W. Black was
awarded the 1988 Nobel Prize in Medicine along with Gertrude B. Elion and
George H. Hitchings "for their discoveries of important principles for
drug treatment."
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