Discovery of Abiraterone

Abiraterone was first discovered by Professor Gerry Potter in November 1990 in the CRUK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. The picture below shows Gerry Potter carrying out the first synthesis of abiraterone in the laboratory. This process was then scaled up to make killogram quantities. Abiraterone was designed to inhibit the enzyme CYP17 which prevents the production of androgens in the body. Prostate cancer is dependent upon androgens for its growth and replication, so switching off the supply of androgens with Abiraterone causes regression of prostate tumours.