Mesothelioma drug inventor donates $1 million to research
Edward C. Taylor, inventor of Alimta, the most effective mesothelioma drug discovered so far, was drawn to chemistry as a student at New York’s Hamilton College in the 1940s. Now, he and his wife have donated $1 million to support chemistry research at Hamilton College by establishing The Edward and Virginia Taylor Fund for Student/Faculty Research in Chemistry. The fund is intended to inspire students to pursue research in the field and to facilitate their work. It will begin providing support in the Summer of 2009.
Taylor himself chose to study chemistry in his freshman year at Hamilton because of a fortuitous coin toss. He fell in love with the subject immediately and now, over 60 years later, is professor emeritus at Princeton University.
His cancer drug Alimta, developed in cooperation with Eli Lilly, is approved in 92 countries. It is a preferred drug treatment for mesothelioma and is currently being investigated through clinical trials for the treatment of breast, neck, thyroid and head cancer.
For the full story, go to Hamilton College News.
