Bruce Roth
Encyclopedia
Bruce D. Roth is an American
chemist
who invented atorvastatin
, better known as Lipitor, which has become the largest-selling drug in pharmaceutical history.
Roth received his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College
, Philadelphia, in 1976. He then went to Iowa State University
as a doctoral student under George Kraus. After receiving his Ph.D. in organic chemistry
from Iowa State University
in 1981, he spent a year as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rochester
, then joined Parke-Davis
of Warner-Lambert Company
as a Medicinal Chemist in 1982. He was promoted to Senior Scientist in 1984, Research Associate in 1986, Senior Research Associate in 1988, Section Director in 1990, Director of Atherosclerosis
and Exploratory Chemistry in 1992, and Senior Director of Atherosclerosis, Inflammation and Exploratory Chemistry in 1993. He was appointed Vice President of Chemistry just prior to the merger between Warner-Lambert and Pfizer
in 2000 and remained in that role as a part of Pfizer Global Research and Development in Ann Arbor, Michigan
until 2007 when he joined Genentech
in San Francisco, California
as Senior Director of Discovery Chemistry.
Roth first synthesized atorvastatin in 1985. For the discovery, he received the 1997 Warner-Lambert Chairman's Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, the 1999 Inventor of the Year Award from the New York Intellectual Property Law Association, the 2003 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention, the 2003 Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Service, the 2005 Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the 2006 Pfizer Global Research and Development Achievement Award.
Roth was named a 2008 Hero of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society
(ACS).
In addition to his discovery of atorvastatin, Roth is the inventor or co-inventor of 42 patents and the author or co-author of 48 manuscripts, 35 published abstracts and eight book chapters. He also served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan
.
He and his wife, Michelle, have four children: David, Sarah, Rebecca and Aaron. David Roth was married on July 31, 2010, to Alyssa Roth, formerly Alyssa Dipzinski.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who invented atorvastatin
Atorvastatin
Atorvastatin , sold by Pfizer under the trade name Lipitor, is a member of the drug class known as statins, used for lowering blood cholesterol. It also stabilizes plaque and prevents strokes through anti-inflammatory and other mechanisms...
, better known as Lipitor, which has become the largest-selling drug in pharmaceutical history.
Roth received his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
, Philadelphia, in 1976. He then went to Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
as a doctoral student under George Kraus. After receiving his Ph.D. in organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in 1981, he spent a year as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, then joined Parke-Davis
Parke-Davis
Parke-Davis is a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Although no longer an independent corporation, it was once America's oldest and largest drug maker, and played an important role in medical history.- History :...
of Warner-Lambert Company
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
as a Medicinal Chemist in 1982. He was promoted to Senior Scientist in 1984, Research Associate in 1986, Senior Research Associate in 1988, Section Director in 1990, Director of Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
and Exploratory Chemistry in 1992, and Senior Director of Atherosclerosis, Inflammation and Exploratory Chemistry in 1993. He was appointed Vice President of Chemistry just prior to the merger between Warner-Lambert and Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
in 2000 and remained in that role as a part of Pfizer Global Research and Development in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
until 2007 when he joined Genentech
Genentech
Genentech Inc., or Genetic Engineering Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology corporation, founded in 1976 by venture capitalist Robert A. Swanson and biochemist Dr. Herbert Boyer. Trailing the founding of Cetus by five years, it was an important step in the evolution of the biotechnology industry...
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as Senior Director of Discovery Chemistry.
Roth first synthesized atorvastatin in 1985. For the discovery, he received the 1997 Warner-Lambert Chairman's Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, the 1999 Inventor of the Year Award from the New York Intellectual Property Law Association, the 2003 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention, the 2003 Gustavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Service, the 2005 Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the 2006 Pfizer Global Research and Development Achievement Award.
Roth was named a 2008 Hero of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
(ACS).
In addition to his discovery of atorvastatin, Roth is the inventor or co-inventor of 42 patents and the author or co-author of 48 manuscripts, 35 published abstracts and eight book chapters. He also served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
He and his wife, Michelle, have four children: David, Sarah, Rebecca and Aaron. David Roth was married on July 31, 2010, to Alyssa Roth, formerly Alyssa Dipzinski.
Publications
- Baumann KL, Butler DE, Deering CF, Mennen KE, Millar A, Nanninga TN, Palmer CW, Roth BD. The convergent synthesis of CI-981, an optically active, highly potent, tissue selective inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. Tetrahedron Lett 1992; 33: 2283-4.
- Brower PL, Butler DE, Deering CF, Le TV, Millar A, Nanninga TN, Roth BD. The synthesis of (4R-Cis)-1, 1-dimethylethyl, 6-cyanomethyl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3- dioxane-4-acetate, a key intermediate for the preparation of CI-981, a highly potent, tissue selective inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase. Tetrahedron Lett 1992; 33: 2279-82.
- Roth BD, Blankley CJ, Chucholowski AW, Ferguson E, Hoefle ML, Ortwine DF, Newton RS, Sekerke CS, Sliskovic DR, Stratton CD, et al. Inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis. 3. Tetrahydro-4-hydroxy-6-[2-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)ethyl]-2H-pyran-2-one inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase. 2. Effects of introducing substituents at positions three and four of the pyrrole nucleus. J Med Chem 1991 Jan; 34(1): 357-66.
- Roth BD, Bocan TM, Blankley CJ, Chucholowski AW, Creger PL, Creswell MW, Ferguson E, Newton RS, O'Brien P, Picard JA, et al. Relationship between tissue selectivity and lipophilicity for inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase. J Med Chem 1991 Jan; 34(1): 463-6.
- Shaw MK, Newton RS, Sliskovic DR, Roth BD, Ferguson E, Krause BR. Hep-G2 cells and primary rat hepatocytes differ in their response to inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1990 Jul 31; 170(2): 726-34.
- Roth BD, Ortwine DF, Hoefle ML, Stratton CD, Sliskovic DR, Wilson MW, Newton RS. Inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis. 1. trans-6-(2-pyrrol-1-ylethyl)-4-hydroxypyran-2-ones, a novel series of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. 1. Effects of structural modifications at the 2- and 5-positions of the pyrrole nucleus. J Med Chem 1990 Jan; 33(1): 21-31.
- Sliskovic DR, Roth BD, Wilson MW, Hoefle ML, Newton RS. Inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis. 2. 1,3,5-trisubstituted [2-(tetrahydro-4-hydroxy-2-oxopyran-6-yl)ethyl]pyrazoles. J Med Chem 1990 Jan; 33(1): 31-8.
- Kende AS, Roth B, Sanfilippo PJ. Facile, palladium (II)- mediated synthesis of bridged and spirocyclic bicycloalkenones. J Am Chem Soc 1982; 104: 1784-5.
- Kende AS, Roth B, Sanfilippo PJ, Blacklock TJ. Mechanism and regioisomeric control in palladium (II) - mediated cycloalkenylations. A novel total synthesis of (+/-)-quadrone. J Am Chem Soc 1982; 104: 5808-10.
- Roth BD, Roark WH. Synthesis of a chiral synthon for the lactone portion of compactin and mevinolin. Tetrahedron Lett 1988; 29: 1255-8.
- Bruce D. Roth, The Discovery and Development of Atorvastatin, a Potent Novel Hypolipidemic Agent, Progress in Medical Chemistry, 2002, pp. 1–22, vol. 40.
External links
- The $10 Billion Pill - 2003 FORTUNE article on Bruce Roth
- The Birth of a Blockbuster: Lipitor's Route out of the Lab - Wall Street Journal
- Ann Arbor chemist wins national award for drug discovery - ScienceBlog
- Meet the Guy Who Invented Lipitor - Wired article
- Chemical Society To Honor 'Heroes Of Chemistry' During National Meeting
- Bruce D. Roth, Pfizer Inc, USA