Nick Lydon, who initiated and drove the programme at Novartis, that led to the development of Gleevec, the first drug developed by targeting a specific protein kinase, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Dundee at the Life Sciences Graduation Ceremony held in the Caird Hall, Dundee on 22 June 2011.

Gleevec, an inhibitor of the Abd tyrosine kinase has transformed a form of leukaemia (CML, chronic myelogenous leukaemia) from a rapidly fatal disease into a manageable condition with survival rates of 90% after five years on the drug. It transformed the perception of protein kinases as drug targets and has become the most important drug marketed by Novartis with sales of US$3 billion in 2010.

Nick Lydon is an alumnus of the University of Dundee, having received a PhD in the Department of Biochemistry in 1982 for research on luteinising hormone in the laboratory of David Stansfield. After the development of Gleevec, Nick Lydon became an entrepreneur in the Biotechnology Industry and has funded four companies since 1988. To read the full laureation address which was delivered by MRC-PPU Director Philip Cohen, click here