Edward Calvin Kendall

Edward Calvin Kendall was an American biochemist renowned for successfully isolating thyroxine from the thyroid gland at the Mayo Clinic. Later, he also isolated cortisone from the adrenal cortex. His research profoundly advanced the field of endocrinology and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Yes, Edward Calvin Kendall was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1950. He shared the prestigious award with Philip S. Hench and Tadeus Reichstein. The prize was awarded for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning the hormones of the adrenal cortex.

Kendall conducted his most famous research while working at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He began his tenure there in 1914, leading the biochemical laboratory. His decades of work at the Mayo Clinic led to major medical breakthroughs.

Kendall's isolation and synthesis of cortisone revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory diseases, most notably rheumatoid arthritis. Before his work, there were few effective treatments for these debilitating conditions. Cortisone became one of the most widely used anti-inflammatory drugs in the world.