Princeton University announced Edward Taylor, its A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Organic Chemistry Emeritus, will be inducted into the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in 2010. Additionally, Taylor has been inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame and was selected to receive the 2010 Alfred Burger Award in Medicinal Chemistry from the ACS. Taylor was instrumental in the development of Alimta, a drug manufactured by Eli Lilly and Co. and approved for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in 2004.

Taylor was recently honored for his accomplishments at the Celebrate Princeton Invention reception, held Dec. 18. He developed Alimta in partnership with scientists at Eli Lilly and Co.  after spending more than 40 years on the Princeton faculty. However, he began research that would lead to the mesothelioma drug’s development while a graduate student at Cornell University.

According to a Princeton news release, Taylor became fascinated by reports of a compound obtained from spinach and liver that had a unique chemical structure with a nucleus previously only observed in the pigments of butterfly wings. The compound from liver, now known as folic acid, he found was essential for the synthesis of DNA and RNA, and for the growth of cells.  Taylor observed that changes to the structure of folic acid could transform it from a growth-promoting to a growth-inhibiting compound, and dedicated his career to determine how it could be used to kill cancer cells.

Since its approval by the FDA in 2004, the drug has received three additional FDA approvals, most recently in July when it became the first chemotherapy approved for use as a maintenance therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer. Alimta has been successful in improving the quality of life and extending the lifespan of millions of cancer patients in nearly 100 countries around the world.

Taylor has previously been honored with the ACS Heroes of Chemistry Award, the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry Senior Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry, and the Research and Development Council of New Jersey’s Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for Invention.

According to the Jackson NJ Online, New Jersey Senator Tom Kean (R-21) has introduced legislation to declare Sept. 26 as Mesothelioma Awareness Day in New Jersey annually. The legislation, SJR-77, has been approved by the New Jersey Senate and is waiting for consideration in the General Assembly.

The report quotes Sen. Kean as saying, “We don’t have a cure or standard treatment yet for mesothelioma, so we need to learn more about this disease and spur the development of effective treatments.” He says that designating a statewide annual recognition of Mesothelioma Awareness Day will help ensure that the public and policymakers do not forget the importance of mesothelioma awareness, and help promote funding for research.

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The Kansas City Tribune features a touching story about Wendell and Elizabeth Mason. Wendell passed away as a result of complications from mesothelioma in December 2006 at age 65. He was employed for 25 years as a truck driver and insulation fabricator, where it is believed he was exposed to asbestos on the job.

The story, written by Tom Bogdon, says Wendell’s widow, Elizabeth (Beth), and his three grown children will wear t-shirts featuring a photo of Wendell on Saturday to draw attention to Mesothelioma Awareness Day. They also have obtained a proclamation from Olathe, Kansas, Mayor Michael Copeland declaring Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the city.

The report quotes Beth Mason as saying, “We want people to stop and think. Asbestos is still out there. We don’t want other families to go through what we’ve been through. Wendell and I were robbed of our retirement together.”

Read the full story at the KC Tribune’s web site.

Yesterday I posted some information about a mesothelioma awareness and fund raising event coming up in Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the Bridgeport Speedway. The event is the first ever “Meet and Greet” that will allow race fans to meet the drivers and see the cars of Bridgeport Speedway.

Today I talked to event organizer Bill Thomas, Sr., of Bill Thomas Racing. He said the event was born of necessity, when he discovered in August that he has mesothelioma. Already active with his son, Bill Jr., on the racing circuit, an event tied to the sport seemed a natural fit.

“Racing with my son is a big part of my life,” he said. “I had to retire as a result of having meso, and I felt like I really needed to do something and give back so I came up with this event.”

The Meet & Greet will feature a number of drivers from the Bridgeport Speedway, located in Bridgeport, New Jersey, which bills itself as “The Fastest Dirt Track in the East.” Ms. Motorsports 2009 also will attend the event. A silent auction will help raise money for mesothelioma research, with proceeds going to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

The event is set for March 7 and 8 at the Granite Run Mall in Media, Penn.

More information about featured drivers and other events will be available in the next few weeks prior to the event. You can also follow the new Bill Thomas Racing Blog.

If you are interested in donating items for the silent auction, or volunteering in any other way, please contact Bill Thomas at 610-329-0239 or email him at billthomasracing@comcast.net.

Updates on Lung Leavin’ Day festivities to come… stay tuned!

But in the meantime, let me share some news about a fund raising event for mesothelioma research for those of you who live in northeast. The Bridgeport Speedway and Bill Thomas Racing will present the first ever “Meet & Greet the Drivers and See the Cars of Bridgeport Speedway” on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8. The event will be held at the Granite Run Mall in Media, Penn.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to help fund research to find a cure for mesothelioma. The show will see the mall filled with racing vehicles of all classes and there will be a number of current and retired racers on hand to visit with fans and sign autographs. The event also will feature Ms. Motorsports 2009.

The Bridgeport Speedway, which is located in Bridgeport, New Jersey, bills itself as “The Fastest Dirt Track in the East.” The South Jersey raceway features a fun family atmosphere at a banked 5/8th mile dirt oval, featuring a dirt 1/4 mile oval embedded in the center. The track is centrally located minutes from Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The Granite Run Mall is located in the heart of the tourist areas of central Philadelphia, Valley Forge and the Brandywine Valley.

More information about fund raising events to benefit mesothelioma research through the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is available on the organization’s web site, along with assistance if you’d like to plan an event. Go to their home page at www.curemeso.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab and then “Upcoming Events,” or email info@curemeso.org.

Alfacell Corporation, which has completed a confirmatory Phase IIIb clinical trial for its unresectable malignant mesothelioma treatment ONCONASE, reported a net loss of about $2.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2009. Reported by MarketWatch, the financial results are for the fiscal quarter ending Oct. 31.

The company reports a drop in cash and cash equivalents to $2 million, down from $4.7 million in July 2008. However, the company received $1.1 million from the sale of state tax loss carryforwards in New Jersey in December 2008, and says its cash reserves “are sufficient to support its activites into the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009,” according to the report.

Following the Phase IIIb clinical trial, it was determined ONCONASE results in a statistically significant improvement in survival for patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma who have failed one prior chemotherapy regimen. This represents a currently unmet medical need, and Alfacell will meet with the Food and Drug Administration in January 2009 to discuss details of its planned New Drug Application submission.

According to information provided by Alfacell, “ONCONASE is a first-in-class therapeutic product candidate based on Alfacell’s proprietary ribonuclease (RNase) technology. A natural protein isolated from the leopard frog, ONCONASE has been shown in the laboratory and clinic to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. ONCONASE triggers apoptosis, the natural death of cells, via multiple molecular mechanisms of action.”