| RefNo | EC/1992/14 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Jack, Sir David: certificate of election to the Royal Society |
| Date | 1990 |
| Description | Citation typed |
| Citation | David Jack became Research Director at Allen & Hanbury's (now Glaxo) at Ware in 1961. His group transformed the treatment of bronchial asthma by pioneering the inhaled use of highly selective stimulants of beta-2 adrenoceptors as bronchodilators (eg Salbutamol) and selective topically active anti-inflammatory steroids (eg Beclomethasone). The new beta-2 adrenoceptor stimulant Salmeterol which is about to be marketed is much longer acting and arose directly from Jack's concepts of pharmacological agonism. Similarly, Jack chose Fluticasone to replace Beclomethasone because of its greater topical anti-inflammatory action. Other important drugs discovered and developed under Jack's leadership are Labetalol (an alpha and beta adrenoceptor blocker for use in high blood pressure) and Ranitidine (a histamine H-2 receptor antagonist as an anti-ulcer agent). The general theme of drug discovery advocated by Jack was through the pharmacological differentiation of receptors for physiological mediators such as catecholamines, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, prostanoids, thromboxanes, glucocorticoids, adenosine and substance P. His leadership of this wide-ranging research has already led to a thromboxane agonist and importantly to Odansetron, a specific 5HT-3 receptor antagonist established as a uniquely effective anti-emetic drug during cancer chemotherapy and to Sumatriptan, a selective 5HT-1-like agonist uniquely effective in relieving migraine. Throughout his highly successful leadership of Glaxo Group Research (initially 120 but now some 4,000 people), Jack brilliantly stimulated his scientific colleagues and just as importantly, contributed to the scientific progress and discussion. |
| AccessStatus | Closed |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA4457 | Jack; Sir; David (1924 - 2011) | 1924 - 2011 |