V. Craig Jordan, OBE, PhD, DSc, FMedSci, a breast cancer research pioneer known for his development of the therapeutic drug tamoxifen, has been named a recipient of the Sir James Black Award from the British Pharmacological Society.
Dr. Jordan, Professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was recognized for discoveries of important principles for drug treatment.
The award is named for Sir James W. Black, OM, FRCP, FRS, FRSE, a Nobel-prize winning scientist known for his discovery of the beta-blocker propranolol and the H2 blocker cimetidine, which contributed significantly in the treatment of angina and stomach ulcers.
Career Background
Dr. Jordan is credited with reinventing a failed contraceptive (known as ICI 46,474) as a breast cancer treatment. The drug, in existence since the 1960s, was originally created to block estrogen in the hopes of preventing pregnancy. Dr. Jordan developed the strategy of long-term adjuvant tamoxifen therapy, as well as describing and deciphering the properties of selective estrogen receptor modulators. He was the first to discover the preventive abilities of both tamoxifen and the drug raloxifene. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the medicines for reducing breast cancer incidence in high-risk women.
Dr. Jordan joined MD Anderson in 2014, where he focuses on the new biology of estrogen-induced cell death with the goal of developing translational approaches for treating and preventing cancer.
His long and distinguished career has included leadership positions at some of the world’s most prestigious biomedical institutions. Prior to joining MD Anderson, he served as Scientific Director and the Vincent T. Lombardi Chair of Translational Cancer Research at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. Dr. Jordan also served as Vice Chairman of the Department of Oncology and Professor of Oncology and Pharmacology at Georgetown University’s Medical School. In addition, he is a Visiting Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Leeds, and an Adjunct Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry at Northwestern University.
Dr. Jordan is a member of the National Aacdemy of sciences. In addition, he has received six honorary fellowships or degrees from universities around the world including, an honorary fellowship from the Royal Society of Medicine. He was elected president of the Royal Society of Medicine Foundation of North America. Dr. Jordan was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the United Kingdom’s equivalent to the Institute of Medicine. ■
