Philip Needleman
spent 25 years
at Washington
University School
of Medicine,
where he was
professor and
chairman of
the department
of pharmacology.
In 1989 he moved
to industry,
becoming senior
vice president
of Monsanto.
In 1993 he became
president of
Searle Research
and Development.
He was also
senior executive
vice president
and chief scientist
of Pharmacia
from 2000 to
2003.
Dr. Needleman’s
research focuses
on two main
areas. His studies
of the regulation
of vascular,
cardiac, and
renal function
led to the discovery
of the mechanism
of organic nitrate
tolerance, the
first peptide
angiotensin
antagonists,
and the atrial
natriuretic
factor (the
hormone by which
the heart communicates
with the kidney).
His second area
of research
was on the role
of prostaglandins
in arthritis,
an area in which
he made multiple
contributions
culminating
in the discovery
of Cox-2, the
isoform of cyclooxygenase
responsible
for the inflammation
and pain suffered
by arthritis
patients. His
work at Monsanto/Searle
resulted in
the 1998 FDA
approval of
Celebrex.
He is the recipient
of many awards
and honors,
including the
John Jacob Abel
Award of the
American Pharmacology
Society and
the Research
Achievement
Award of the
American Heart
Association.
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