Leukemia
Brian J. Druker, MD
Oregon Health & Science University
Father of targeted therapy
- Revolutionized the treatment of cancer through research to develop Gleevec, the first drug to target the genetic defects of a particular cancer while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
- Based on his studies, Gleevec is now the treatment of choice for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and its success has opened the door to developing targeted therapies for other cancers.
- Identified STI571, the precursor to Gleevec, as a promising anticancer compound for its ability to kill CML cells by turning off the signal of the abnormal cancer-causing protein
