Finding Dora Richardson - The Forgotten Developer of Tamoxifen

Update: 2024-10-24

Digest

This episode of "Lost Women of Science" tells the story of Dora Richardson, a British chemist who synthesized the drug Tamoxifen, a game-changer in breast cancer treatment. Despite her significant contribution, Dora's story has been largely forgotten. The episode explores her life, career, and the challenges she faced as a woman in science during the mid-20th century. The episode delves into the search for Dora Richardson's unpublished history of Tamoxifen, a document that was lost in the archives of ICI, the company where she worked. The search involves contacting archivists, navigating corporate bureaucracy, and ultimately finding the paper, which provides valuable insights into Dora's work and the development of Tamoxifen. The episode explores the early days of Tamoxifen research at ICI, focusing on the Fertility Regulation Program. Dora Richardson was recruited to work on the project, which initially aimed to develop a contraceptive. The episode highlights the challenges faced by the team, the importance of Dora's work in isolating the compound's isomers, and the eventual shift in focus towards cancer treatment.

Outlines

00:01:00

Dora Richardson: The Chemist Who Synthesized Tamoxifen

This episode of Lost Women of Science tells the story of Dora Richardson, a British chemist who synthesized the drug Tamoxifen, a game-changer in breast cancer treatment. Despite her significant contribution, Dora's story has been largely forgotten. The episode explores her life, career, and the challenges she faced as a woman in science during the mid-20th century.

00:20:31

Finding Dora's Story and the Early Days of Tamoxifen

The episode delves into the search for Dora Richardson's unpublished history of Tamoxifen, a document that was lost in the archives of ICI, the company where she worked. The search involves contacting archivists, navigating corporate bureaucracy, and ultimately finding the paper, which provides valuable insights into Dora's work and the development of Tamoxifen. The episode explores the early days of Tamoxifen research at ICI, focusing on the Fertility Regulation Program. Dora Richardson was recruited to work on the project, which initially aimed to develop a contraceptive. The episode highlights the challenges faced by the team, the importance of Dora's work in isolating the compound's isomers, and the eventual shift in focus towards cancer treatment.

Keywords

Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is a drug used to treat and prevent breast cancer. It is an anti-estrogen, meaning it blocks the action of estrogen, a hormone that can promote the growth of some breast cancers. Tamoxifen was a groundbreaking discovery, changing the course of breast cancer treatment and saving countless lives.

Anti-estrogen

An anti-estrogen is a drug that blocks the action of estrogen, a hormone that plays a role in many biological processes, including the development of certain cancers. Anti-estrogens are used to treat and prevent various conditions, including breast cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids.

Fractional Crystallization

Fractional crystallization is a technique used to separate different components of a mixture based on their solubility. It involves dissolving the mixture in a solvent and then gradually cooling the solution, causing the least soluble component to crystallize first. This process is repeated to isolate the other components.

ICI

ICI stands for Imperial Chemical Industries, a British multinational chemical company that was a major player in the chemical industry during the 20th century. ICI was involved in the development of many important products, including Tamoxifen.

Lost Women of Science

Lost Women of Science is a podcast that tells the stories of women scientists who have been overlooked or forgotten by history. The podcast aims to highlight the contributions of these women and to inspire future generations of scientists.

Q&A

What was Dora Richardson's major contribution to the development of Tamoxifen?
Dora Richardson synthesized the drug Tamoxifen, a groundbreaking discovery that revolutionized breast cancer treatment. She was instrumental in isolating the compound's isomers, a crucial step in the development of the drug.
Why was Dora Richardson's story largely forgotten?
Dora Richardson's story was largely forgotten due to a combination of factors, including her being a woman in a male-dominated field, the lack of documentation of her work, and the corporate amnesia that often occurs within large companies.
How was Dora Richardson's unpublished history of Tamoxifen rediscovered?
The rediscovery of Dora Richardson's unpublished history of Tamoxifen involved a persistent search by the producers of the Lost Women of Science podcast. They contacted archivists, navigated corporate bureaucracy, and ultimately found the paper, which was lost due to a clerical error.

Show Notes

In the early 1960s, chemist Dr. Dora Richardson synthesized a chemical compound that became one of the most important drugs to treat breast cancer: tamoxifen. Although her name is on the original patent, her contributions have been lost to history.

In the first episode of this two-part podcast, Katie Couric introduces us to Dora’s story. Lost Women of Science producer Marcy Thompson tracked down Dora’s firsthand account of the history of the drug’s development. This document, lost for decades, tells the story of how the compound was made and how Imperial Chemical Industries, where Richardson worked, almost terminated the project because the company was hoping to produce a contraceptive, not a cancer therapy.