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One look at the crowd, and you knew this was serious business. Starched and straight-laced, the winners of the 1988 Nobel Prize sat stoically on the stage at the awards ceremony, full of all the gravity and tradition and respect that the Nobels have rightfully come to symbolize. But onlookers could not fail to notice, among the sea of black and white tuxedos, a single striking royal blue gown. And there, amid the solemn masks of some of the world's most brilliant people, was a lively, smiling face, looking about, drinking in every moment.
Gertrude B. Elion had reached the pinnacle of scientific achievement—she was about to be rewarded with the 1988 Nobel Prize for Medicine. But even then, she was still just Trudy, the little girl from New York who saw life as a ferocious adventure, and who was determined to squeeze every bit of joy from every second.
To those who knew her, Trudy Elion's sudden death on February 21, 1999, at age 81 remains a tragedy. Trudy might see it differently. As a scientist, she was well aware that the principles of science and biology are both generous in opportunity and unforgiving in application. Science gives; it also takes. The mark of Trudy's genius was her ability to manipulate those principles, with each medical breakthrough, coaxing them to give a little more and take a little less. She was remarkably successful at this task.
Her work, along with that of George H. Hitchings, with whom she shared the Nobel, led to genuine advances in the treatment of cancer, herpes, malaria and bacterial infections. She played a central role in the development of azathioprine, the immune response suppressant that made organ transplant surgery possible. She and Hitchings pioneered the concepts of rational drug design, an idea so revolutionary that it recast the entire paradigm of drug discovery. In awarding them the Nobel, the prize committee said their work was so important that each of the drugs for which they were honored could have won the prize in itself.
For oncologists, her work is equivalent to the development of written language, the invention of gunpowder, the lunar landing—all those events that cause mankind to forever alter its view of what's possible. Among her achievements was the development of two of the first effective leukemia-fighters, mercaptopurine and thioguanine. She joined the battle outside the lab, also, serving on numerous policy-making boards of cancer organizations, including a term as President of the American Association for Cancer Research. Over the years her contributions were recognized with awards and citations from a host of prestigious scientific groups and research institutes, including the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the American Cancer Society.
While tremendous challenges remain in our war on cancer, Trudy blazed trails that today's medical scientists are still following. That she did it in spite of all the gender biases of the mid- to late 20th century is all the more amazing.
Clearly, the determined little New Yorker, the daughter of immigrant parents, fought through huge obstacles to pursue her dreams. She entered the laboratory and touched the world. But for Trudy Elion, that wasn't enough. She also touched the people around her.
Trudy was the ultimate evangelist for science, and especially for women in science. She served as mentor—an active, hands-on mentor—for young women scientists around the world. She traveled incessantly, speaking to professional medical groups and fourth-grade classrooms alike. She taught at the university level. And she peppered it all with a no-nonsense humility and an invigorating, refreshing candor. People were drawn to her—young and old, educated and non-educated, patients and professionals—because she was drawn to people. As famous as she would become, in her heart, she was never anybody but Trudy. Trudy, who was always enjoying every moment, and looking forward to the surprises of the next.
So it seemed perfectly natural that night in Stockholm, when the orchestral ensemble began an aria by Mozart, that Trudy would continue being Trudy. In a blue gown outlined by the black and gray of her colleagues, in front of an audience that expected pomp and circumstance and solemn tradition, it seemed perfectly natural that Trudy Elion—Nobel Prize winner, ground-breaking researcher and global scientific thought-leader—would smile broadly, and begin tapping her foot and rocking her head with the music.
Trudy showed us how to grasp life with both hands and enjoy it in all its multiple colors. She showed us all, but perhaps particularly the health professions, how science can dramatically and directly impact the quality of life. She showed us all, but perhaps particularly women, that difficulties can be overcome. She showed us all, but perhaps particularly children, the value of dreams.
Two years before her death, an interviewer asked Trudy to describe her accomplishments and whether she was pleased with her career. Her typically understated response: "I wanted to get sick people well, and that's what I've done."
For medical scientists and health professionals everywhere, there is no more noble achievement. For Gertrude Elion, it is her legacy.
Robert A. Ingram
Chief Executive
Glaxo Wellcome plc
Trudy Elion's office is just a short walk from mine. The office is small and unpretentious, but it's clearly a special place, filled with awards, pictures and mementos of an extraordinary life. I was one of the lucky ones. I sat in that office on many occasions, saw Trudy frequently and came to know a truly remarkable scientist and human being.
I joined the company in 1983, the year Trudy "retired." Of course, in reality Trudy never retired and never slowed down. She traveled constantly, giving speeches, receiving awards, meeting and motivating young people, especially young women, to embrace the joys of scientific discovery as she had done. She continued to work closely with our oncology project teams, encouraging us to always put patients first, contributing both her great knowledge and her great wisdom to the development of new drugs. She loved to walk through the labs, discussing the latest data with the chemists and biologists. She took the most adventurous vacations—walking with the penguins in Antarctica, exploring Alaska, cruising the fjords of Norway. This was how Trudy Elion defined retirement.
Trudy's scientific and medical contributions are well known, attested to by the highest levels of recognition the world's scientific community can bestow. Yet along with the prizes, awards and honors what pleased her most were the many letters of appreciation she received from grateful patients and their families. Comments such as, "Your drug saved my child's life," brought joy and satisfaction but were always accepted with great humility and a characteristic understatement of her own accomplishments. When she spoke of her own work, her love of scientific discovery and its application to the relief of human suffering were very clear.
Trudy loved to be around students. She gave lectures at many academic institutions, but in accepting such invitations she invariably attached the condition that she be given several hours of uninterrupted time with a group of students. Later, when she returned from her trip, it was the time spent with these students that she most wanted to discuss. Trudy was a wonderful spokesperson for careers in science. She was a great advocate of women in science. Young women and all students considering careers in science have lost a great supporter and friend.
Several years ago, after Trudy had received her Nobel prize, she was honored by Peter Jennings and ABC News as their "Person of the Week." The segment highlighted Trudy's career and her many accomplishments. During the interview, Trudy was asked how many lives she thought she had saved through her work. I don't recall the answer precisely, but seem to remember that she put forward a rather modest number. But, in reality, Trudy Elion's work has touched millions of lives. Whether directly through the drugs she discovered or indirectly through the large number of scientists who trained with her, Trudy's impact has been enormous. Today's scientists, physicians and patients owe much to Trudy's pioneering discoveries. Those who knew her personally were captivated by her energy, enthusiasm and gentle humanity. She will be greatly missed.
Richard S. Kent, M.D.
Vice President, U.S. Medical Operations and Chief Medical Officer
Glaxo Wellcome Inc.
I had known Trudy for over 20 years. Only a quarter of her lifetime, but I feel as if I had known her forever. She has been the pole star guiding our researchers to apply the fruits of their science to the benefit of sick people. Her own scientific achievements in the treatment of many diseases is immense, but they pale when compared to the cumulative advances in the treatment of these diseases by all the people she has touched and influenced in her once active career—her scientific children, grandchildren, and now, I think, great-grandchildren.
To really understand Trudy's contribution to medicine, you have to step back in history more than 50 years to the early 1940s, when she began her career. At that time we had very few useful drugs. Those that we did have were either botanicals, such as digitalis, quinine, or colchicine, whose activity had been discovered by natural observation hundreds of years previously, or a smattering of other drugs such as aspirin, sulfonamides and mercurial diuretics, the activity of which had been discovered principally by chance observation. Even penicillin, which was just beginning to see broadening clinical use in the 1940s, was discovered as a result of a lucky laboratory contamination. Beginning in the mid-1940s, however, true drug discovery began and took two widely differing approaches. One involved large-scale screening of hundreds of thousands of atmospheric, soil, and water-borne microorganisms for antibacterial activity, hoping to extend Fleming's original discovery. Although random screening doesn't take a lot of genius, it nonetheless led to most of the antibiotics in use today.
The other major approach was led by George Hitchings and Trudy Elion. In a nutshell, they believed that through a fundamental knowledge of the biochemistry of basic biological functions, they could synthesize molecules which could interfere with undesirable processes in the pathophysiology of infections, cancers, and the rejection of transplanted organs. They exceeded their hopes and aspirations. They interfered with DNA function before the structure of DNA was even known. They produced 6 mercaptopurine and thioguanine for the treatment of cancer, Imuran which allowed kidney transplantation to be performed, trimethoprim and pyramethamine to treat both bacterial and parasitic infections, and even allopurinol, a safe and effective treatment for gout and other diseases caused by hyperucemia.
Not content to sit on her laurels, Trudy, in her late 50s then launched into the new and burgeoning field of antiviral chemotherapy. At a time when the scientific establishment was convinced that all effective antivirals must be toxic, she and her staff elegantly worked out, through very advanced and sophisticated enzymology, the mechanism of action of acyclovir to demonstrate the scientific basis of its potent activity combined with a lack of toxicity. These findings led scientists to the later discovery and development of other widely used antiherpes drugs such as Valtrex and Famvir. Later, in 1983, when Trudy was 66, and when the establishment again was pessimistic about the possibility of treating HIV infection, Trudy counseled her staff and associates to ignore the naysayers and merely put their heads together and apply the fundamental principles of rational drug design to the enormous challenge of AIDS. This led to the discovery and development of AZT, which in turn spawned a plethora of drugs which when combined are now starting to really control this dreadful illness. And Trudy still didn't rest on her laurels. Until her untimely death at age 81, she was still counseling and leading young and old researchers at Glaxo Wellcome, teaching young students at Duke and sharing her wisdom with thousands in lectures around the world.
Although Trudy's scientific successes have been recognized by the highest honor a researcher can receive—the Nobel Prize—I think we all loved her for something else. She was a genuinely nice, caring, and pleasant human being. Trudy always had a kind word when it was needed, a helpful insight into seemingly insoluble problems, and a ray of hope when others were in despair. No matter how brilliant her science, she was never arrogant or impatient, and suffered fools gladly. I know that from personal experience. Her joy of life and eternal optimism have enriched and lengthened all of our lives.
I really don't know how Trudy got to be that way. But deep in my heart, I like to believe that deep in her heart she was always that young, idealistic little girl in the Bronx, sitting in her room, reading "Arrowsmith" and determined to find a way to someday overcome the sinister forces of cancer which had taken the life of her cherished grandfather. I saw that little girl's elation fifteen years ago when Trudy met a young woman whose life had been saved by one of her drugs. And I also saw that little girl's exhilaration 10 years ago as she walked down that magnificent stairway in Stockholm in her sparkling blue gown on the arm of a young and handsome king.
Trudy's spirit will always live with us.
David W. Barry, M.D.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Triangle Pharmaceuticals
Gertrude (Trudy) Elion's career has important lessons for all who strive to join the constant battle against disease. Intellectual modesty, perseverance, dedication, sensitivity to her co-workers, courage, integrity, and above all, focus were the hallmarks of her style.
Trudy was preeminently goal-oriented and her goal was drug discovery. This is not to say she did not possess wide scientific interests, but she had remarkable discipline and focus in using her laboratory time and resources. If a line of inquiry, however interesting, was not on the path to drug discovery, she simply said no. Trudy would never argue that there wasn't a legitimate place for "science for science's sake"—it just was not for her. Her compassionate nature and personal experiences made very real to her the vast number of people hoping for a remedy to their diseases. Many scientists lose sight of the potential human impact of their work in the insular environment of the laboratory. She did not, and had a sense of urgency about it, never letting anything else get in the way. Drug discovery was her mission.
Trudy didn't agonize over her work—she enjoyed it immensely. Her favorite activity was to analyze data and then to fit the resulting piece of new information into the complex labyrinth that leads to a new drug. She had the patience and discipline to proceed one step at a time, but each step was carefully calculated. She derived as much satisfaction from the quest as from the final achievement.
Trudy's courage was impressive. She was a "can do" person, but was never overly optimistic. She entered new fields with gusto when the quest led her to them. George Hitchings, her mentor first and then her long-time co-worker, always used the term "quick learn" to describe Trudy's ability to go into a new field, quickly master it, and then make important contributions. Another aspect of her courage was her readiness to speak out for what she felt was just and right. On occasion, she argued with the FDA, with the management of Burroughs Wellcome Co., and with the Wellcome Trust. Yet she did not seem to make enemies, perhaps because the targets of her outspokenness ultimately respected her integrity.
Trudy's enthusiasm was contagious. She was a team builder gifted with the ability to be critical and supportive simultaneously. She helped individuals find where they could best contribute and was always generous with credit. Her personal warmth and sensitivity were pervasive in her dealings with her co-workers. Trudy was always clear about what she knew well and what she did not, so establishing outside collaborations was standard procedure for her. In these collaborations, she quickly established trust and mutual respect—often making lifelong friends.
After receiving the Nobel Prize, she was asked to co-chair a World AIDS Conference with Mother Teresa. She declined because she felt that Mother Teresa deserved to be the sole chairperson, yet Trudy probably did as much as anyone to alleviate human suffering. Both women were driven by compassion and love for humanity.
Thomas A. Krenitsky, Ph.D.
President
Krenitsky Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Gertrude Belle Elion: scientist, teacher, humanitarian. Few people can claim eminence in any one of these but, without doubt, Trudy was eminent in them all.
Trudy and I shared an office at Duke Medical Center for many years. She was Director of Experimental Therapy at Burroughs Wellcome, but several afternoons each week she came to Duke to mentor medical students. The contact with students and the opportunity to shape and nurture their careers was an essential element in her life.
Occasionally, she'd call to say she wasn't coming because she was presiding over a World Health Organization meeting in Geneva on diseases of the developing world, or receiving one of her many honorary degrees, or lecturing to young students in the North Carolina mountains about the joys of a life in science, or presenting her scientific insights into diseases to physicians at Grand Rounds.
She did these things quietly, year after year, without fanfare, for the good of science and mankind. Trudy was a natural teacher and humanitarian.
As a scientist, she, together with George Hitchings, ushered in the era of biological understanding and rational drug design to pharmaceutical research. Until their work, drug discovery was based largely on chemistry and serendipity, with little understanding of the biological basis of disease or drug action.
Over a career of nearly 50 years, she focused her energy on an understanding of nucleic acid function and metabolism, and gave the world important therapies for leukemia, gout, organ transplantation, and viral, bacterial and parasitic infections.
This record of drug discovery is unlikely ever to be equaled.
But of greater importance was the impact her scientific approach had on the drug discovery programs pursued by scientists targeting other diseases. Now we all focus on an understanding of disease, identification of specific biochemical targets and synthesis of drug molecules to modify the function of those targets. Fifty years ago those were radical ideas. Trudy proved this approach was the best way to discover drugs and that proof paved the way for the burst of new medicines which are in clinical practice or in the process of discovery today.
When asked to comment on his own scientific achievements, Sir Isaac Newton said "If I have been able to see further, it was only because I stood on the shoulders of giants." For our generation, Trudy was such a giant.
Even though she is gone, every one of us can see a little further scientifically, and do a little more therapeutically, because we are standing on her shoulders.
Dr. J.E. Niedel
Executive Director, Science and Technology
Glaxo Wellcome plc
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