Name: James Holmsen Student No.

215125634

PHAR1101– Drugs that Changed the World

DRUG DISCOVERY PIONEERS EXERCISE

This exercise requires you to conduct library-based research into a pioneering researcher who
helped discover and develop an important drug. Please choose a pioneer from the Table on page
13 of the PHAR1101 Handbook. Perform background research on your pioneer and then write
your answers in the blank squares below. Submit your Report via Turnitin.com by Oct 23.
Word Limit = 1,000 words

Name of Pioneer: John Frederick Joseph Cade

(first name, family
name, nicknames,
etc)

Date and Location of John was born in a relatively small country town called Murtao in Victoria,
Birth
(e.g. in which town, which is situated north west of Melbourne in Australia. This occurred on the
state and country was 18th of January 1912.
the pioneer born)

Any Relevant Family John’s father was a medical practitioner for his local town. He also
History
(e.g. parents or served in the first world war as a commander for the 13th Field of
siblings with medical Ambulance while his wife Ellen, raised John during the time of his
or scientific training) fathers absence.
Educational He was educated at the private boys school, Scotch College in
background and
training for scientific Melbourne, which is based in Hawthorn. Following this he attended
career the University of Melbourne, where he obtained a degree in medicine
(e.g. which school, in 1934, he earn’t honours in all of his subjects. These two institutes
university or college
did the Pioneer are both recognised nationally as being very exclusive and offering a
attend, did they study high quality of education. Such educations provide a great starting
medicine or science point for anyone wishing to start out in medicine
(e.g. biology,
chemistry, etc)

Scientific Institution Cade became apart of St Vincent’s Hospital in Fitzroy, serving as a

where they Worked
(e.g. hospital, Medical Officer in year of 1935, as well as the Royal Children’s
university, drug Hospital the following year. He was then shifted his work to the Mont
company) Park Mental Hospital. Following the break out of World War Two, he
served in Singapore in 1941, working as a surgeon. During this time
he also became a prisoner of war. He raised children at a physiatrics
hospital he later worked in.

The Main Scientific Through observations and animal testing, he discovered the effects
Breakthrough for
which the Pioneer is of lithium carbonate as an effective way to treat those who are
Remembered bipolar. He noted that his patients at the psychiatric hospital’s urine
(e.g. new drug or drug had abnormally high levels of toxicity, testing the effects of the drugs
class, new
mechanism of drug on guinea pigs ensued. The aim of the drug is to serve as a mood
action, etc) stabiliser, reducing the illnesses symptoms. John tried the drug first
on himself, with great results. This is the key discovery John is
recognised for, as it saved the global economy billions of dollars of
Name: James Holmsen Student No. 215125634

medical expenses, as well as improving the quality of life for those

who suffer from bipolar related illnesses. The lithium causes a
calming effects in the minds of the patients, greatly reducing some of
the unwanted symptoms associated with the psychosis.
Diseases that Bipolar disorders are a mental issue, which affecting 2% of the
Became Treatable
Following the population. Sufferers experience the extreme ends of both of
Breakthrough excitement and sadness. These can be separated into manic and
(main health condition depressive phases. Some symptoms from the manic phase include
affected by the
discovery) include poor judgement, rapid speech and poor performances at
work or school. The depressive phase can be identified through
irritability, anxiety and sleeping problems. With some experiencing
inflated amounts of one side of the spectre. Some people have rapid
changes from one mood to another. Another rather tragically
common symptom can be suicidal thoughts and intentions. What
causes bipolar disorder is largely unknown, but it has been linked to
genetic pre-disposition. it has also been suggested it occurs as a
result of abnormal brain structures.
How the Discovery John actually came up with the first drug for the illness, his concept
Changed Clinical
Practice although it took a while to materialise, it was subsequently the first of
(i.e. duration of illness its kind for treating bipolar related issues.There were existing
decreased, treated as therapies including prolonged hospitalisation and shock treatment.
outpatients versus
inpatients, etc) However discovering the beneficial effects of a naturally occurring,
relatively easy to obtain substance, meant the discovery completely
revolutionised the entire treatment process for bipolar related
disorders. The findings decreased the number of inpatients, as
instead of being treated in hospital for extended periods of time, once
diagnosed, patients can be administered a drug and treated from the
comfort of their own homes. In a philosophical view, it proved that
discovery’s can come from anywhere and discoveries like the one
John has made, inspire medical researches all over the world to
continue to come up with treatments for illnesses with unknown
cures.
Pharmaceutical Following Cade releasing his paper detailing his findings from his
Innovations that
Resulted from the experiments, it took a few years before lithium was trailed in
Discovery hospitals. Once it was made commercially available in 1970, it
(e.g. improved drugs replaced the previous treatments for bi polar related illnesses. These
that subsequently
became available) included electro inclusive therapy and lobotomy.

Prizes or Special For his excellent contribution to psychiatric treatments over the year,
Acknowledgments
of Pioneers Josh was awarded a Kittay International Award in 1974.
Discovery
(e.g. Nobel, Lasker,
Presidential Medals,
Knighthood, National
Honours, Scientific
Society Awards, etc)
Name: James Holmsen Student No. 215125634

Date and Place of John died of cancer at the age of 68 in the hospital he previously
Pioneers Death
(any possible role of worked at in Fitzroy. This occurred in 1980 and there is no reason to
occupational disease suggest it was related to his research.
related to their
research can be
indicated here)

Information Sources Online Resources

(say where you
obtained your
information, e.g. Diseases and Conditions - Mayo Clinic . [ONLINE] Available at:
books, journal papers, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-
reviews, online
resources, etc) disorder/basics/symptoms/con-20027544. [Accessed 14 October
2014].

NIMH · Bipolar Disorder (Easy to Read). 2014. NIMH · Bipolar

Disorder (Easy to Read). [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder-easy-to-
read/index.shtml. [Accessed 13 October 2014].

Biography - John Frederick Joseph Cade - Australian Dictionary of

Biography. 2014. Biography - John Frederick Joseph Cade -
Australian Dictionary of Biography. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cade-john-frederick-joseph-9657.
[Accessed 12 October 2014]

.The history of lithium therapy. 2014. The history of lithium therapy.

[ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3712976/. [Accessed
14 October 2014].
Name: James Holmsen Student No. 215125634
Name: James Holmsen Student No. 215125634
Name: James Holmsen Student No. 215125634