Lasker~DeBakey
Clinical Medical Research Award

Acceptance remarks by Akira Endo

It is a great honor for me to receive the 2008 Lasker Award in Clinical Medical Research. I thank the members of the jury and the foundation that made it possible.

Four decades ago, from 1966 to 1968, I studied at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine here in New York. Even before that time I was interested in cholesterol metabolism, and during my stay here, I learnt much about cholesterol both in my daily work and life.

In New York, I was quite surprised at the large number of elderly and overweight people as well as the rather rich dietary habits of Americans compared to the Japanese. I was also surprised to see that many American people suffered from coronary heart disease and higher levels of blood cholesterol. In the residential area of the Bronx where I lived, at any time of day an ambulance would often come to take away who had suffered a heart attack. At that time, heart attacks were the number one cause of death in America. The number of people with higher levels of blood cholesterol — a precursor to coronary heart disease — was said to exceed 10 million. At the end of the 1960s, however, a highly safe and effective cholesterol-lowering agent was not available.

My experience of living in New York made me realize the importance of developing an effective cholesterol-lowering agent as a research area and stimulated my interest in this field. As is now known, cholesterol-lowering drugs are crucial in the prevention of coronary heart disease.

If I had not stayed and studied in New York four decades ago, I would never have discovered statins. Thanks to my stay and study in New York, I was able to make a contribution toward helping people. Thank you very much.