Scientific Achievements

Dr. Paul Janssen was one of the most productive pharmaceutical researchers of the 20th century. During his career Dr. Paul and his team were responsible for the discovery of over 80 drugs, including 25 antipsychotic medicines. He and his team made discoveries in many areas, including anesthesia and pain management, psychiatry, mycology and gastroenterology. Among these discoveries are:

  • HALDOL® (haloperidol), the first effective antipsychotic medicine.
  • FENTANYL™ and other anesthetics.
  • RISPERDAL™ (risperidone), the most widely prescribed atypical antipsychotic in the world.
  • Tibo anti-HIV compounds.
  • IMODIUM® (loperamide HCL), a widely used anti-diarrheal that can be lifesaving in the event of acute diarrhea.
  • VERMOX™ (mebendazole), a vital drug for use in parasitic worm infections.
  • A wide range of anti-fungal medications, including DAKTARIN®(miconazole nitrate), NIZORAL® (ketoconazole) and SPORANOX® (itraconazole).
  • A wide range of medicines for research including anti-fungals, anti-psychotics, anti-histaminics, anti-neuroleptics.

Dr. Paul was the author of 702 scientific communications indexed in the Web Of Science (WOS). As of July 2014, those 702 indexed papers have received 24,011 citations and continue to be cited heavily. In addition, Dr. Paul has co-authored papers with more than 850 different scientists, and has also authored many conference proceedings and book chapters.

Below is a list of Dr. Paul's 10 most highly cited papers, all of which have been cited over 300 times. It is worth noting that only about 0.15 percent of research papers published reach this level of citation. To have published 10 papers in this group is nothing short of remarkable. Two of them have even been featured as Citation Classics in Current Contents, with commentary on the background to the paper from Dr. Paul.

Paper Citations
1981 Life Sciences 28 (9): 1015-1022 Leysen JE; Awouters F; Kennis L; Laduron PM; Vandenberk J; Janssen PAJ Receptor-Binding Profile Of R-41-468, A Novel Antagonist At 5-HT2 Receptors 926
1981 Journal Of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics 218 (1): 217-230 Vannueten JM; Janssen PAJ; Vanbeek J; Xhonneux R; Verbeuren TJ; Vanhoutte PM. Vascular Effects Of Ketanserin (R-41-468), A Novel Antagonist Of 5-HT2 Serotonergic Receptors 723
1990 Nature 343 (6257): 470-474 Pauwels R; Andries K; Desmyter J; Schols D; Kukla MJ; Breslin HJ; Raeymaeckers A; Vangelder J; Woestenborghs R; Heykants J; Schellekens K; Janssen MAC ; Declercq E; Janssen PAJ Potent And Selective-Inhibition Of HIV-1 Replication Invitro By A Novel Series Of Tibo Derivatives 766
1965 Arzneimittel-Forschung 15 (2): 104-&Janssen PAJ; Niemegeers.CJ; Schellekens KH. Is It Possible To Predict Clinical Effects Of Neuroleptic Drugs (Major Tranquillizers) From Animal Data .I. Neuroleptic Activity Spectra For Rats (Citation Classic) 529
1963 Arzneimittel-Forschung-Drug Research 13 (6): 502 Janssen PAJ; Niemegeers CJC; Dony JGH Inhibitory Effect Of Fentanyl And Other Morphine-Like Analgesics On Warm Water Induced Tail Withdrawal Reflex In Rats (Citation Classic) 582
1988 Journal Of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics 244(2): 685-693 Janssen PAJ; Niemegeers CJC; Awouters F; Schellekens KHL;Megens AAHP; Meert TF Pharmacology Of Risperidone (R 64 766), A New Antipsychotic With Serotonin-S2 And Dopamine-D2 Antagonistic Properties 428
1976 Cancer Research 36 (3): 905-916 Debrabander MJ; Vandeveire RML; Aerts FEM; Borgers M; Janssen PAJ Effects Of Methyl [5-(2-Thienylcarbonyl)-1H-Benzimidazol-2-Yl] Carbamate, (R-17934-NSC-238159), A New Synthetic Antitumoral Drug, Interfering With Microtubules, On Mammalian-Cells Cultured Invitro 404
1968 Arzneimittel-Forschung 18 (3): 261-& Janssen PAJ; Niemegeers.CJ; Schellekens.KH; Dresse A; Lenaerts FM; Pinchard A; Schaper WKA; Vannueten.JM; Verbrugg.FJ Pimozide, A Chemically Novel Highly Potent And Orally Long-Acting Neuroleptic Drug .I. Comparative Pharmacology Of Pimozide Haloperidol And Chlorpromazine 336
1988 Journal Of Pharmacology And Experimental Therapeutics 247 (2): 661-670 Leysen JE; Gommeren W; Eens A; Decourcelles DD ; Stoof JC; Janssen PAJ Biochemical Profile Of Risperidone, A New Antipsychotic 416
1994 Journal Of Molecular Biology 243 (3): 369-387 Tantillo C; Ding JP; Jacobomolina A; Nanni RG; Boyer PL; Hughes SH; Pauwels R; Andries K; Janssen PAJ; Arnold E Locations Of Anti-AIDS Drug-Binding Sites And Resistance Mutations In The 3-Dimensional Structure Of HIV-1 Reverse-Transcriptase - Implications For Mechanisms Of Drug-Inhibition And Resistance 432

A Lasting, Far Reaching Legacy

Dr. Paul Janssen (1926-2003) was one of the 20th century's most innovative and inspiring pharmaceutical researchers. With over 100 patents to his name, his work was responsible for many breakthroughs in several fields of disease, including pain management, psychiatry, infectious disease and gastroenterology. Dr. Paul was an exceptionally gifted and passionate scientist who revolutionized modern medicine and inspired a new generation of researchers. Read More

Portrait Of Innovation

The late Paul Janssen—“Dr. Paul” to much of the world of pharmaceutical research—loved to ask, “What’s new?” For him, it was no casual opening to small talk. The world cried out for medical cures and treatments, and Janssen recognized that only a tenacious pursuit of novel molecules with therapeutic promise would yield them - John Rennie, Scientific American©. Read More

Awards & Honors

AWARDS & HONORS
Dr. Paul Janssen was a unique individual: A brilliant scientist in the lab and an outstanding businessman in the boardroom. As evidence of this, he received more than 70 scientific and professional awards, including: Read More

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