Alejandro Zaffaroni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alejandro Zaffaroni
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Biotechnology Heritage Award, 2006
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| Born | February 27, 1923 Montevideo, Uruguay
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| Died | March 1, 2014 (aged 91) |
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| Spouse(s) | Lida Zaffaroni |
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| Thesis | The Application of Paper Partition Chromatography to Steroid Analysis (1950) |
Alejandro Zaffaroni (born February 27, 1923 – died March 1, 2014) was a brilliant scientist and businessman from Uruguay. He was known for starting many biotechnology companies in Silicon Valley, California. Biotechnology uses living things and biology to create new products and technologies.
Zaffaroni helped develop important medical products. These include the ... pill, the nicotine patch, special medicines called corticosteroids, and the DNA microarray. A DNA microarray is a tool used to study many genes at once.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alejandro Zaffaroni was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on February 27, 1923. His family had Italian roots, as his grandfather moved to Uruguay from Italy when he was 16. Alejandro faced challenges early in life. His mother passed away when he was 12, and his father died when he was 18. His father worked in banking.
Zaffaroni was a dedicated student. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science, from the University of the Republic in Uruguay in 1945. Later, he moved to the United States and received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Rochester in 1949. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that happen inside living things.
His Amazing Career
After finishing his studies, Zaffaroni joined a small chemical company called Syntex in Mexico in 1951. He was a biochemist there. He played a big part in helping Syntex grow into a large international pharmaceutical company. A pharmaceutical company makes medicines. He helped move the company to Palo Alto, California, and in 1962, he became the president of its U.S. branch.
Starting ALZA: New Ways to Deliver Medicine
In 1968, Zaffaroni started his own company called ALZA. The name ALZA is a short form of his own name. He wanted ALZA to create new ways to deliver medicines to the body. He was inspired by how glands in the body release tiny amounts of hormones that have huge effects. He thought medicines could be delivered in a similar controlled way.
ALZA's first special product helped treat glaucoma, an eye condition. Other products using Zaffaroni's new drug delivery methods included:
- Glucotrol, for people with a type of diabetes.
- Duragesic, for managing severe long-lasting pain.
- NicoDerm CQ, to help people stop smoking.
- Transderm-Scop, to prevent feeling sick from motion sickness.
Founding Many Biotech Companies
Zaffaroni didn't stop with ALZA. He founded many other important companies:
- In 1980, he started DNAX. This company worked on large biological molecules and combined genetic engineering (changing genes) with immunobiology (studying the immune system).
- In 1988, he helped start Affymax. This company focused on combinatorial chemistry. This is a way to quickly find new medicines by making and testing many different chemical compounds at once.
- In 1991, he co-founded Affymetrix. This company used genetics to develop new medicines. He also helped create Perlegen Sciences, which was a company that came out of Affymetrix. Perlegen Sciences worked on finding the genetic causes of diseases.
- In 1994, he founded Symyx Technologies. This company also used combinatorial chemistry to discover new materials.
- Other companies he started include Maxygen (1997), which improved proteins and genetic elements, and SurroMed, which developed ways to find early signs of disease.
- In 2000, he founded Alexza Pharmaceuticals. This company focused on medicines that work very quickly.
Alejandro Zaffaroni passed away at his home in Atherton, California, on March 1, 2014, at the age of 91.
Awards and Honors
Alejandro Zaffaroni received many awards for his important work:
- In 1979, he received the Chemical Pioneer Award.
- In 1995, President Bill Clinton gave him the National Medal of Technology. This is a very high honor for his contributions to the medicine and biotechnology industries.
- In 2004, he received the Winthrop-Sears Medal.
- In 2005, he was given the Bower Award for Business Leadership. This was for creating new ways to make biochemical products and deliver medicines.
- Also in 2005, he received the Gregory Pincus Award.
- In 2006, he was honored with the Biotechnology Heritage Award.
See also
In Spanish: Alejandro Zaffaroni para niños
