ZAGREB, Aug 21 (Hina) - Two scientists of Croatia's pharmaceutical giant Pliva, Gabrijela Kobrehel and the late Slobodan Djokic, have been proclaimed Heroes of Chemistry 2000 by the American Chemical Society, an association of United
States chemists and chemical engineers. Pliva said on Monday the Croatian scientists were given the award, which is dedicated to chemical innovators promoting global human well-being, for participating in the discovery of azithromycin, the first representative of azalide antibiotics.
ZAGREB, Aug 21 (Hina) - Two scientists of Croatia's pharmaceutical
giant Pliva, Gabrijela Kobrehel and the late Slobodan Djokic, have
been proclaimed Heroes of Chemistry 2000 by the American Chemical
Society, an association of United States chemists and chemical
engineers.
Pliva said on Monday the Croatian scientists were given the award,
which is dedicated to chemical innovators promoting global human
well-being, for participating in the discovery of azithromycin,
the first representative of azalide antibiotics.#L#
The two Croatian scientists shared the award with representatives
of U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer, who took part in the
research which led to the discovery of azithromycin, which Pliva
manufactures under the brand name Sumamed and which is known as
Zithromax around the world.
Sources at Pliva said the discovery was the biggest in the history
of the company and Croatia's entire pharmaceutical industry.
Sumamed was discovered and patented in 1980, stirring attention and
becoming one of the most successful antibiotics around the world.
Besides Djokic and Kobrehel, Pliva's research team which led to its
discovery included Zrinka Tamburasev and Gorjana Radobolja-
Lazarevski.
It helped Pliva join the narrow circle of pharmaceutical companies
which have their brand medicine, and made Croatia one of nine
countries in the world with their brand antibiotic.
(hina) ha jn