Mushrooms and moulds: The remarkable story of Dr Akira Endo and the statins revolution
His discovery is widely seen as the most important drug breakthrough since penicillin.
“I was born into a rural farming family in northern Japan, in Akita, where I lived for 17 years with my extended family, including my grandparents.
“My grandfather … was a great home teacher to me … and thanks to his influence, I became fascinated with mushrooms and other moulds.”
These are the words of Dr Akira Endo (PhD), looking back at his life in 2010. The reference to mushrooms and other moulds is a clue to the reason why Dr Endo, who died in June at the age of 90, can be credited with saving the lives of millions.
He was the scientist who in 1973 managed to isolate three active metabolites from a culture broth of blue-green mould, one of which would lead to the first statin.
