Gertrude B. Elion

Gertrude "Trudy"[2] Belle Elion (January 23, 1918 – February 21, 1999) was an American biochemist and pharmacologist, who shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with George H. Hitchings and Sir James Black for their use of innovative methods of rational drug design for the development of new drugs.[3] This new method focused on understanding the target of the drug rather than simply using trial-and-error. Her work led to the creation of the anti-retroviral drug AZT, which was the first drug widely used against AIDS. Her well known works also include the development of the first immunosuppressive drug, azathioprine, used to fight rejection in organ transplants, and the first successful antiviral drug, acyclovir (ACV), used in the treatment of herpes infection.[4]

Quick facts: Gertrude Elion, Born, Died, Alma mater, ... ▼

Gertrude Elion
Born	Gertrude Belle Elion (1918-01-23)January 23, 1918 New York City, United States
Died	February 21, 1999(1999-02-21) (aged 81) Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US
Alma mater	Hunter College New York University
Awards	Garvan-Olin Medal (1968) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1988) National Medal of Science (1991) Lemelson-MIT Prize (1997) National Inventors Hall of Fame (1991) ForMemRS (1995)[1]
Scientific career
Institutions	Burroughs Wellcome Duke University
Website	www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1988/elion-bio.html