Croatia's PLIVA Scientists Proclaimed Heroes Of Chemistry 2000 By American Chemical Society
Barry Marjanovich
ZAGREB, Croatia, Aug 21 (Hina) - Two scientists of Croatia's
pharmaceutical giant Pliva, Gabrijela Kobrehel and
the late Slobodan Djokic, have been proclaimed Heroes of Chemistry 2000
by the American Chemical
Society, an association of United States chemists and chemical
engineers.
Pliva said on Monday the Croatian scientists were given the award, which
is dedicated to chemical
innovators promoting global human well-being, for participating in the
discovery of azithromycin, the first
representative of azalide antibiotics.
The two Croatian scientists shared the award with representatives of
U.S. pharmaceutical company
Pfizer, who took part in the research which led to the discovery of
azithromycin, which Pliva manufactures
under the brand name Sumamed and which is known as Zithromax around the
world.
Sources at Pliva said the discovery was the biggest in the history of
the company and Croatia's entire
pharmaceutical industry.
Sumamed was discovered and patented in 1980, stirring attention and
becoming one of the most
successful antibiotics around the world. Besides Djokic and Kobrehel,
Pliva's research team which led to
its discovery included Zrinka Tamburasev and Gorjana Radobolja-
Lazarevski.
It helped Pliva join the narrow circle of pharmaceutical companies which
have their brand medicine, and
made Croatia one of nine countries in the world with their brand
antibiotic.
http://www.pliva.hr/defaultenj.htm
Barry Marjanovich
PLIVA's Scientists - Heroes of Chemistry
The "Heroes of Chemistry 2000"ceremony was held on 20 August
2000 in
Washington D.C., USA, organised by the American Chemical
Society (ACS), a
non-profit association of American chemists and chemical
engineers and the largest
association of scientists in the world. For the discovery of
azithromycin, the first
class of azalide antibiotics, PLIVA scientists Dr. Slobodan
Dokic and Gabrijela
Kobrehel, M.Sc., were named heroes of chemistry, together
with representatives
from US-based Pfizer which had also contributed to the
success of Sumamed and
Zithromax. On behalf of the late Dr. Dokic, his widow Lidija
and son, Dr. Darije
Dokic, attended the presentation ceremony.
The "Heroes of Chemistry 2000" award is one of numerous
awards presented over
the years to PLIVA scientists for their long-term
contribution to global science,
medicine and the improvement of quality of life. This latest
recognition is additional
confirmation of the value and achievements of PLIVA's entire
team of researchers
who worked on the discovery of azithromycin, which apart from
Dr. Slobodan Dokic
and Gabrijela Kobrehel, M.Sc., also included Dr. Zrinka
Tamburasev and Gorjana
Radobolja-Lazarevski, M.Sc..
The discovery of azithromycin was the greatest event in
PLIVA's history and a
milestone for the Croatian pharmaceuticals industry. As a
result of consistent efforts
and dedication to research, in 1980 PLIVA scientists
discovered and patented a new
original macrolide antibiotic called azithromycin. Because of
its exceptional
therapeutic properties, azithromycin, sold by PLIVA under the
brand name
Sumamed, revolutionised antibiotic treatment and became one
of the most
successful drugs world-wide. Its success has put PLIVA among
the few
pharmaceutical companies in the world that have developed
their own drug and has
listed Croatia among only nine countries world-wide that have
their own antibiotic
substance.
At the 220th national ACS meeting, which was dedicated to
celebrating the
innovators from the field of chemistry who have contributed
to improving the human
condition on a world-wide scale, six individuals and six
teams of scientists were
named heroes of chemistry. The awarded scientists came from
10 pharmaceutical
companies from across the world, including giants such as
BASF, Bristol-Myers,
Squibb, Novartis, Dow Chemicals, Procter & Gamble and Xerox.
"Selecting Dr. Slobodan Dokic and Gabrijela Kobrehel, M.Sc.,
as heroes of
chemistry is truly great recognition from the Association of
American Chemists and
Chemical Engineers of their achievements and their dedicated
scientific work and
research throughout the years together with PLIVA's team of
scientists who
participated in this great discovery. I also believe it is a
confirmation of how
important it is for PLIVA to further focus on research and
new drug discovery. This
will lead to new PLIVA products that will, as it did with
azithromycin, bring
advancements to drug treatment and contribute to global
science," said Dr. Radan
Spaventi, PLIVA's Chief Scientific Officer.