Leo Sternbach

Dr Leo Henryk Sternbach (May 7, 1908 – September 28, 2005) was a Polish-Jewish chemist who is credited with discovering benzodiazepines, a class of tranquilizers.

Biography

He was born in Opatija, then in Austria-Hungary and now part of Croatia. He received his doctoral degree in organic chemistry from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. He worked for Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel, Switzerland, which helped him to flee to the United States in 1941 to escape the Nazis. His work on drugs was done while working for Roche in Nutley, New Jersey.

Sternbach is credited with the discovery of chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), flurazepam (Dalmane), nitrazepam (Mogadon), clonazepam (Klonopin), and trimethaphan (Arfonad). Librium, based on the R0 6-690 compound discovered by Sternbach in 1956, was approved for use in 1960. In 1963 its improved version, Valium, was released and became astonishingly popular: between 1969 and 1982 it was the most prescribed drug in America, with over 2.3 billion sold in peak year of 1978. The Rolling Stones paid tribute to Valium (the "little yellow pill") in their "Mother's Little Helper".

Sternbach held 241 patents, and his discoveries helped to turn Roche into a pharmaceutical industry giant. He didn't become wealthy from his discoveries but he was happy: he treated chemistry as a passion and said that "I always did just what I wanted to do". He went into the office until he was 95. Sternbach was a longtime resident of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, from 1943 to 2003. He moved down south, and died at his new home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. [Pearce, Jeremy. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/health/01sternbach.html "Leo Sternbach, 97, Valium Creator, Dies"] , "The New York Times", October 1, 2005. Accessed October 17, 2007. "The couple lived in Upper Montclair, N.J., until last year, when they moved to Chapel Hill."] [ [http://www.rocheusa.com/newsroom/current/2005/pr2005092901.html Inventor of Valium and National Inventors Hall of Fame] , Roche, September 30, 2005. Accessed October 17, 2007. "A devoted family man, Sternbach lived with his wife, Herta, in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, from 1943 to 2003..."]

A book "Good chemistry: The life and legacy of valium inventor Leo Sternbach" was published by McGraw-Hill in 2004.

Legacy

He is present in the New Jersey Inventor's Hall of Fame; and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in February 2005, a few months before his death. [ [http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/19936.php "National Inventors Hall of Fame announces 2005 inductees"] , "Medical News Today", February 12, 2005. Accessed October 17, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.rocheusa.com/newsroom/current/2005/pr2005092901.html Official biography released by Roche USA]
* [http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Culture/6738.htm Associated press bio]