George Rosenkranz

George Rosenkranz (born Rosenkranz György; 20 August 1916 – 23 June 2019) was a pioneering Hungarian-born Mexican scientist in the field of steroid chemistry, who used native Mexican plant sources as raw materials.

At Syntex corporation in Mexico City, Rosenkranz assembled a research group of organic chemists that included future leaders from around the world, such as Carl Djerassi, Luis E. Miramontes and Alejandro Zaffaroni. Revolutionary advances in the understanding of steroid drugs and their production occurred under Dr Rosenkranz's direction. Syntex synthesized a progestin used in some of the first combined oral contraceptive pills and numerous other useful steroids. Under Rosenkranz's leadership, Syntex became "a powerful international force in the development of steroidal pharmaceuticals", and "a pioneer of biotechnology" in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rosenkranz stepped down as CEO in 1982, at the age of 65.

Rosenkranz was also an American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Grand Life Master at his hobby of duplicate bridge, with more than 13,000 masterpoints and 12 NABC titles (below). He wrote or co-wrote more than 10 books on bridge.

Scientific research

Rosenkranz was born in 1916 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of Etel (Weiner) and Bertalan Rosenkranz.

The important role of hormones in human health was already known, but ways to synthesize them were unknown. George Rosenkranz's skills as a chemist attracted the interest of Emeric Somlo, a Hungarian immigrant, and Dr. Federico Lehmann at Syntex in Mexico City, Mexico. They had formed the company in 1944 to work with Russell Marker, a Penn State professor, and sought to synthesize the hormone progesterone from diosgenin-containing Mexican yams, which would eventually give rise to the Mexican barbasco trade. After a disagreement Marker left, taking his steroid knowledge with him. Rosenkranz was recruited to replace him, and moved to Mexico City in 1945.

Rosenkranz faced the challenge of analyzing Marker's samples to identify their ingredients and reverse engineering Marker's chemical production processes. He didn't have much help: his initial staff included nine lab assistants and only one other chemist, and Mexico lacked a PhD program in chemistry. He was able to attract significant synthetic organic chemists as researchers and instructors and to obtain funding to expand programs for the training of organic chemists. He and his colleagues regularly worked at Syntex during the day and then spent the evenings teaching chemistry. Rosenkranz also helped to start the Institute for Molecular Biology in Palo Alto. The Mayo clinic had reported that the steroid hormone cortisone was an effective anti-inflammatory, capable of relieving painful rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. However, as described by Djerassi, "Until 1951, the only source of cortisone was through an extraordinarily complex process of 36 different chemical transformations starting from animal bile acids." Several prominent groups of international scientists were attempting to be the first to synthesize cortisone. Rosenkranz's team started working in two shifts, and their dedication paid off. In 1951, Rosenkranz, Djerassi, and their fellow researchers submitted a paper on the synthesis of cortisone, edging out reports from Harvard and Merck by a matter of weeks.

George Rosenkranz (right) and Luis E. Miramontes (left), 2001 at UNAM, in Mexico City Having successfully synthesized cortisone, the researchers at Syntex continued to work on the synthesis of progesterone. A female sex hormone, progesterone was used to help pregnant women avoid miscarriages, and to treat infertility. Syntex initially reached an agreement with the American company Parke-Davis to market norethisterone as Norlutin for the treatment of gynecological disorders, which was approved by the FDA in 1957. Parke-Davis however refused to develop Syntex's norethisterone as a contraceptive over concerns about a possible Catholic boycott of its other products. This delay placed Syntex at a disadvantage, but by 1962, they had partnered with Johnson & Johnson's Ortho division to introduce the birth control pill Ortho-Novum, which used Syntex's norethisterone. In March 1964, the FDA approved Syntex's version of Ortho-Novum with the brand name Norinyl (norethisterone 2 mg + mestranol 100 μg). In March 1964, the FDA also approved Parke-Davis's version of the German company Schering's oral contraceptive Anovlar with the brand name Norlestrin (norethisterone acetate 2.5 mg + ethinylestradiol 50 μg). A cascade of papers on steroid chemistry issued from the Rosenkranz lab during the 1940s and 1950s. Rosenkranz himself is the author or co-author of over 300 articles in steroid chemistry and is named on over 150 patents. He was also president of the advisory board of ICT Mexicana.

Scientific memberships National Academy of Medicine of Mexico New York Academy of Science University of Tel Aviv boardmember Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, board member

Scientific awards 2013 Biotechnology Heritage Award, from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation 2004 Winthrop-Sears Medal, from the Chemical Heritage Foundation and The Chemists' Club, with Alexander Zaffaroni 2001 Condecoracion Eduardo Liceaga, Mexican highest award for contributions to the health field. 1994 Dr. Leopoldo Rio de la Loza, Mexican National Prize in Pharmaceutical Sciences In addition, he has made significant contributions to bidding theory. He created the Romex bidding system, an extension of Standard American with many gadgets. He invented the Rosenkranz double and Rosenkranz redouble, and wrote more than a dozen books on bridge. The ransom money was later recovered and the two kidnappers were later convicted and sentenced, as was a third defendant, Orland D. Tolden. Wright was released in 1999, Moss in 1994, and Tolden in 1989.

Bridge awards ACBL Hall of Fame, Blackwood Award 2000 ACBL Honorary Member 1990 Precision Award 1976

Tournament wins and runners-up Wins North American Bridge Championships (12) Master Mixed Teams (1) 1990 Open Swiss Teams (1) 1991 North American Swiss Teams (1) 1990 Grand National Open Teams (1) 1981 Men's Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1984, 1987 Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1985 Spingold Knockout Teams (2) 1976, 1984 Vanderbilt Knockout Teams (3) 1975, 1976, 1982

Runners-up North American Bridge Championships (15) Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1974 Silver Ribbon Pairs (1) 1992 Master Mixed Teams (3) 1967, 1984, 1994 Open Swiss Teams (2) 1998, 2003 Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1975 Open Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1990, 2000 Spingold Knockout Teams (1) 1967 Vanderbilt Knockout Teams (2) 1978, 2001 Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams (2) 1980, 1997 Other notable 2nd places: United States Bridge Federation Bermuda Bowl qualifiers (1) 1982

Publications

Bridge books by Rosenkranz The Romex System of Bidding: a dynamic approach to bridge (New York: World Publishing Co., 1970) Win with Romex: the key to accurate bidding (Crown Publishers, 1975) Bid Your Way to the Top (New York state: Barclay Bridge Supplies, 1978) Bridge, the Bidder's Game (Louisville, KY: Devyn Press, 1985) Slam Bidding (Devyn, 1985) – Championship bridge series, no. 33 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Trump Leads and Were Not Afraid to Ask (Devyn, 1986) Tips for Tops (Devyn, 1988) More Tips for Tops (Devyn, 1991) Our Man Godfrey: tales from the bridge table (Devyn, 1994), ed. Phillip Alder – love story and bridge instruction

Bridge books with co-authors Modern Ideas in Bidding (Devyn, 1982), with Alan Truscott Bid to Win, Play for Pleasure (Devyn, 1990), with Alder Bidding on Target (Devyn, 1992), with Truscott and Alder Godfrey's Bridge Challenge (Devyn, 1996), with Alder Godfrey's Stairway To The Stars: a step-by-step guide to modern bidding (Devyn, 1998), with Alder Godfrey's Angels (Devyn, 2001), with Alder

The four Godfrey books combine fictional narrative and instructional bridge. The second, and first with co-author credit to Phillip Alder, Godfrey's Bridge Challenge "brings the Romex system to life through lively anecdotes instruction and quizzes". The last, Godfrey's Angels incorporates 1998–2001 improvements in the system.

Memoir George and Edith Rosenkranz: a memoir of their lives and times (Philadelphia: Science History Consultants, 2011), with editor Arnold Thackray,