Ralph F. Hirschmann | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1922-05-06)May 6, 1922 |
| Died | June 20, 2009(2009-06-20) (aged 87) |
| Nationality | German American |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison Oberlin College |
| Known for | firstOrganic synthesis of anenzyme, aribonuclease |
| Awards | William H. Nichols Medal(1988) National Medal of Science(2000) Willard Gibbs Award(2002) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicinal Chemistry |
| Institutions | Medical University of South Carolina University of Pennsylvania Merck & Co. |
Ralph Franz Hirschmann (May 6, 1922 – June 20, 2009) was aGerman Americanchemist who led a team that was responsible for the firstorganic synthesis of anenzyme, aribonuclease.
Born on May 6, 1922, inFürth, he emigrated fromNazi Germany in 1936 and settled with his family inKansas City, Missouri.[1] He became anaturalized citizen of the United States in 1944.[2] After graduating fromOberlin College in 1943, he served in theUnited States Army for three years in thePacific Theater of Operations. Following the completion of his military service, Hirschmann attended theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison, receiving hisDoctor of Philosophy inorganic chemistry in 1950.[1]
While atMerck & Co., where he was hired as a researcher in 1950, he led a team that developed a method to synthesize the enzyme ribonuclease. His team was successful, with their results announced in January 1969 parallel with those from a separate team led byBernd Gutte andRobert Bruce Merrifield atRockefeller University who also achieved synthesis of the same enzyme using a different method. The comparatively simple 124-amino acid structure of ribonuclease made it a logical target for the first enzyme to synthesize. Hirschmann's team built the enzyme in amino acid groups from six to 17 in length which were assembled into two large sections that were linked together, while Merrifield's approach was to assemble the entire enzyme by linking one amino acid at a time at the end of a chain.[1][3] The achievement was front-page news inThe New York Times, heralding the fact that "An Enzyme Is Synthesized for First Time" and providing coverage of a joint announcement by the two teams. While no immediate applications were foreseen, the Merck team noted that the ability to synthesize enzymes opened a new class of drugs for potential therapeutic use.[4]
In Hirschmann's obituary inThe New York Times, chemist Daniel Rich described the feat of synthesizing an enzyme as "a huge discovery" that "bridged the interface betweenchemistry andbiology", and that by the time of Hirschmann's death the accomplishment was "just routine". Chemist Gary Molander of theUniversity of Pennsylvania described how "[d]ozens of biotechnology and drug companies were started" based on Hirschmann's developments and that "[t]he wholebiotechnology field" and new classes of medicines, such asprotease inhibitors for the treatment ofAIDS, were established through his approach.[1]
As head of Merck's department of new lead discovery starting in 1971 and as senior vice president for basic research in chemistry starting in 1978, serving until the retirement age of 65, when he left the firm in 1987, Hirschmann played a pivotal role in the development of many of the firm's products.[2] Among the medications he was involved with was the development of theantiparasiticIvermectin used for the treatment ofriver blindness, thestatinMevacor for reducingcholesterol in patients at risk ofcardiovascular disease, thebeta-lactam-familybroad-spectrum antibioticPrimaxin, the syntheticandrogenProscar used for the treatment ofenlarged prostate andprostate cancer and of theACE inhibitorVasotec for treatinghypertension.[1]
Following his departure from Merck, Hirschmann taught at the University of Pennsylvania and theMedical University of South Carolina until his retirement in 2006.[1]
When Merrifield was awarded theNobel Prize in Chemistry in 1984 for the invention ofsolid phase peptide synthesis some, such as Daniel Rich of theAmerican Chemical Society expressed the view that he was "surprised that Hirschmann didn't share the Nobel Prize".[1]
He was awarded theNational Medal of Science in 2000 byPresident of the United StatesBill Clinton. He was presented the award at a December 1, 2000, dinner by Dr.Neal Francis Lane, Assistant to the President for Science & Technology:[5]
For his seminal contributions to organic and to medicinal chemistry including the synthesis in solution of an enzyme (ribonuclease), his stimulation of peptide research in the Pharmaceutical Industry and for his leadership role in fostering interdisciplinary research in academia and in industry, which led to the discovery of several widely prescribed medications for human and animal health.
Hirschmann received theArthur C. Cope Award for achievement in the field of organic chemistry research from theAmerican Chemical Society in 1999[6] and theAmerican Institute of Chemists Gold Medal in 2003.[7]
The Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry is given out "to recognize and encourage outstanding achievements in the chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics of peptides." The award was established in 1988 by Merck Research Laboratories.[8]
Hirschmann died at age 87 on June 29, 2009, due torenal failure at his home inLansdale, Pennsylvania.[1]
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