Although initial clinical trials of tamoxifen as a treatment of breast cancer were positive, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) did not believe this market would be commercially viable. The company had hoped for a contraceptive pill – tamoxifen didn’t work for that – not a cancer treatment. In 1972 the higher-ups at ICI decided to cancel the research.‍

But Dora Richardson, the chemist who had originally synthesized the compound, and her boss, Arthur Walpole, were convinced they were on to something important, something that could save lives. They continued the research in secret. Tamoxifen was eventually launched in 1973 and went on to become a global success, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Dora Richardson’s role in its development, however, was overshadowed by her a male colleague and all but forgotten.

This Best Of episode first aired in October 2024 to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is now also available in a Spanish adaptation, narrated by Laura Gómez.

Aunque los ensayos clínicos iniciales del tamoxifeno como tratamiento del cáncer de mama fueron positivos, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) no creía que este mercado fuera comercialmente viable. La compañía esperaba una píldora anticonceptiva (el tamoxifeno no funcionó para eso), no un tratamiento contra el cáncer. En 1972, los superiores del ICI decidieron cancelar la investigación. ‍ Pero Dora Richardson, la química que originalmente había sintetizado el compuesto, y su jefe, Arthur Walpole, estaban convencidos de que estaban en algo importante, algo que podría salvar vidas. Continuaron la investigación en secreto. El tamoxifeno se lanzó finalmente en 1973 y se convirtió en un éxito mundial, salvando cientos de miles de vidas. El papel de Dora Richardson en su desarrollo, sin embargo, fue eclipsado por su colega masculino y casi olvidado.

In the early 1960s, Dr. Dora Richardson synthesized a chemical compound that became one of the most important drugs to treat breast cancer: tamoxifen. Although her name is on the original patent, her contributions have been lost to history.

In the first episode of this two-part podcast, Katie Couric introduces us to Dora’s story, and we show how Lost Women of Science producer Marcy Thompson tracked down Dora’s firsthand account of the history of the drug’s development. This document, lost for decades, tells the story of how the compound was made and how Imperial Chemical Industries, where Richardson worked, almost terminated the project because the company was hoping to produce a contraceptive, not a cancer therapy.

This Best Of episode first aired in October 2024 to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is now also available in a Spanish adaptation, narrated by Laura Gómez.