Internationally Recognized cancer Researcher Joins UA College of Pharmacy

Nov. 4, 1999


Laurence H. Hurley has joined the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy as the first researcher to hold the $2 million Howard J. Schaeffer, Ph.D., Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Internationally recognized as a leader in the design and development of cancer therapeutic agents, Hurley brings dynamic experience and enthusiasm to his new post.

"I am a great admirer of the visionary leadership of the College of Pharmacy and the Arizona Cancer Center for the advances made in improving quality health care for the people of Arizona. The University is a national leader in advancing cancer drug development from bench to bedside. I am excited and deeply honored to become a part of this team."

As the Schaeffer Endowed Chair holder, and a professor of medicinal chemistry in the department of pharmacology and toxicology, Hurley's goal is to be a catalyst for collaboration among College of Pharmacy researchers and scientists worldwide.

"Cancer is a terrible disease, but I believe that with the unique combination of scientists and physicians at the University of Arizona, we can make major advances against this disease."

Hurley has twice been named an Outstanding Investigator of the National Cancer Institute and is the recipient of a number of national awards, including the American Chemical Society Medicinal Chemistry Award in 1994. He comes to the UA from the University of Texas at Austin, where for nearly two decades he amassed a non-stop record of achievement in cancer research. His new role reunites him with longtime colleague Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, who assumed directorship of the Arizona Cancer Center in August.

"Dan and I are convinced that the University of Arizona offers us the best opportunity to take advantage of new technologies and drug targets to make a quantum leap in cancer treatment."

Born in Birmingham, England, Hurley earned a pharmacy degree from Bath University in 1967, followed by a doctorate in medicinal chemistry from Purdue University in 1970. It was the personal loss of family and friends to cancer, combined with a professional devotion to medicinal chemistry that led to his personal passion toward finding the cure. His research involves interfacing structural chemistry and molecular biology with medicinal chemistry to better understand how drugs interact with their targets and thereby to develop better cancer medications.

Hurley is the founder and scientific director of Cyternex, a company devoted to moving cancer drugs discovered in academic labs to the clinic. Cyternex will move its operations from Austin to Tucson. About 10 members of Dr. Hurley's academic research group also will move with him.

"I hope to apply the Cyternex business model to research discoveries at the Arizona Health Sciences Center," said Hurley. "The UA faculty are excited about leveraging scientific knowledge to create entrepreneurial opportunities."

Hurley's arrival at the College of Pharmacy ends a two-year search to fill the Howard J. Schaeffer, Ph.D., Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The position was established in 1997 by the Wellcome Trust through a grant to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. It pays tribute to Howard J. Schaeffer, former vice president of research and development at Burroughs Wellcome Co.

Schaeffer is a pioneer in the development of acyclovir, the first drug to be truly effective in fighting viral diseases. Acyclovir has been used by more than 30 million patients worldwide, making it the most widely studied and safest antiviral compound in history.

Sales of acylovir greatly added to the value of Burroughs Wellcome Co. and to the ability of the Wellcome philanthropies to support charitable activities. The endowed chair's $2 million principal will be held in perpetuity, with only the interest used annually to support Dr. Hurley's research.

Founded in 1947, the College of Pharmacy was the first of the health sciences to be represented at the UA. Today, U.S. News & World Report ranks it among the top 10 colleges of pharmacy in the nation. The College offers the doctor of pharmacy degree as well as master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmaceutical sciences. The college also is home to three Centers of Excellence.

The Center for Toxicology (including the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center and the Superfund Basic Research Program) serves as a vital resource to local, state, and national agencies on matters of environmental chemical hazards and their impact on health.

The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center answers more than 70,000 telephone calls a year, sharing information on medication interactions, household poisons, and bites and stings from venomous creatures.

The Center for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic Research works to assess health care interventions from a clinical, economic, and humanistic view.

More information about the College is available online at: http://pharmacy.arizona.edu

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