Luis E. Miramontes

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Luis E. Miramontes (right) with Mario J. Molina , around 1995

Luis Ernesto Miramontes Cárdenas (born March 16, 1925 in Tepic , † September 13, 2004 in Mexico City ) was a Mexican chemist. In 1950 he moved from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) to the pharmaceutical company Syntex , where he worked as a researcher under the direction of Carl Djerassi . He succeeded in the first synthesis of an orally active progestin (October 15, 1951). This steroid was α-ethynyl testosterone, with the generic name norethisterone or norethindrone, which led to the development of some of the first oral contraceptives ( birth control pills ).

Discovery of norethisterone

Miramontes oxidized 19-norestosterone with chromium trioxide to 19-norandrostene-3,17-dione, whose reaction with orthoformic acid yielded an enol ether which, when reacted with acetylene and potassium t -amylate and hydrolyzed under acidic conditions, led to norethisterone . The last step in this synthesis was carried out by Miramontes on October 15, 1951, as confirmed by Carl Djerassi , under whose direction the chemistry student Miramontes worked at the Mexican company Syntex . At the beginning of the 1950s, norethisterone was the best orally available progesterone steroid and was used as a medicinal substance in almost 50% of all orally effective contraceptives (colloquially: birth control pills ).

Recognitions and awards

  • In 1964, the United States Patent Office rated the invention of contraceptives as one of the 40 most important inventions between 1794 and 1964. The name Miramontes was named in line with Pasteur, Edison, Bell, the Wright brothers and others.
  • In 1985 Miramontes received the "Estado de Mexico" medal for his outstanding scientific achievements.
  • In 1986 Miramontes received the Mexican National Prize for Chemistry "Andrés Manuel del Rio".

Fonts

  • L. Miramontes, G. Rosenkranz, C. Djerassi: Steroids 22: The Synthesis Of 19-Nor-Progesterone , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1951 , 73 , 3540-3541.
  • A. Sandoval, L. Miramontes, G. Rosenkranz, C. Djerassi: The Dienone Phenol Rearrangement , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1951 , 73 , 990-991.
  • A. Sandoval, Miramontes, G. Rosenkranz, C. Djerassi, F. Sondheimer: Steroids 69: 19-Nor-Desoxycorticosterone, A Potent Mineralocorticoid Hormone , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1953 , 75 , 4117-4118.
  • O. Mancera, L. Miramontes, G. Rosenkranz, F. Sondheimer, C. Djerassi: Steroidal Sapogenins 28: The Reaction Of Peracids With Enol Acetates Of Delta-8-7-Keto And Delta-8-11-Keto Steroidal Sapogenins , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1953 , 75 , 4428-4429.
  • C. Djerassi, L. Miramontes, G. Rosenkranz: Steroids 48: 19-Norprogesterone, A Potent Progestational Hormone , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1953 , 75 , 4440-4442.
  • C. Djerassi, L. Miramontes, G. Rosenkranz, F. Sondheimer: Steroids 54: Synthesis Of 19-Nor-17-Alpha-Ethynyltestosterone And 19-Nor-17-Alpha-Methyltestosterone , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1954 , 76 , 4092-4094.
  • L. Miramontes, P. Aguinaco, MA Romero: Synthesis of 6-Methyl Steroids , J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1960 , 82 , 6153-6155.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Axel Kleemann , Jürgen Engel, Bernd Kutscher, Dieter Reichert: Pharmaceutical Substances. 2 volumes. 4th edition. Thieme, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 978-1-58890-031-9 ; online since 2003 with biannual additions and updates.
  2. ↑ Bernd Schäfer: Natural substances of the chemical industry. Elsevier, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-8274-1614-8 , pp. 354-355.

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Miramontes, Luis E.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Miramontes Cárdenas, Luis Ernesto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Mexican chemist
DATE OF BIRTH March 16, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Tepic
DATE OF DEATH September 13, 2004
Place of death Mexico city