Endocrine Society awards Baxter Prize to innovator in endocrine drug discovery

Newswise — WASHINGTON—R. Scott Struthers, Ph.D., has been awarded the Endocrine Society’s John D. Baxter Prize for Entrepreneurship for his contributions to drug discovery and development programs for endocrine diseases, the Society announced today.

The John D. Baxter Prize for Entrepreneurship was established to recognize the extraordinary achievement of bringing an idea, product, service, or process to market. This work ultimately elevates the field of endocrinology and positively impacts the health of patients.

Struthers is recognized also for his entrepreneurship in founding companies, including Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, and leading the team that created a first-in-class therapy for the treatment of endometriosis and uterine fibroids during his time at Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.

“I’m so happy to give this award to Dr. Struthers on behalf of the Endocrine Society. He is an excellent entrepreneur and endocrine scientist who has dedicated his career to developing successful drugs for endocrine patients,” said Endocrine Society President Ursula B. Kaiser, M.D. “He is passionate about providing effective therapies to patients with rare endocrine diseases and is constantly in search of solving the next challenge in endocrine care.”

As a founder and CEO of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Inc., Struthers built an important company that is developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine disorders such as acromegaly, carcinoid syndrome, Cushing’s disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and congenital hyperinsulinism. He is also a founder of Radionetics Oncology, which focuses on novel radiotherapeutics to treat a wide range of cancers. Struthers also co-founded the San Diego Entrepreneurs Exchange, a nonprofit organization that provides networking and resources for early-stage start-ups.

“I am honored to be recognized with this award and am humbled to be in the company of its previous recipients. In accepting, I want to recognize the many members of our drug discovery and development teams that have made these ideas and companies a reality,” said Struthers. “John Baxter, with one foot in his academic role and another in founding multiple companies, was an icon for the key role that entrepreneurship can play in advancing the field of endocrinology. My hope is that this award honoring him will continue to help unite endocrinologists in all settings, biopharmaceutical and academic, towards advancing and translating endocrinology for the benefit of our patients around the world.”

Struthers will receive the Baxter Prize at the Society's annual meeting ENDO 2023, which is taking place June 15-18, 2023, in Chicago, Ill. The $50,000 prize is awarded biennially to recognize scientists or healthcare practitioners who have demonstrated entrepreneurship by leveraging endocrine research to improve patient care.

The Baxter Prize was established in memory of Endocrine Society Past President John D. Baxter, M.D., who was a world-renowned scientist known for being the first to clone the human growth hormone gene. During his career, he made many fundamental medical discoveries and translated them into clinical therapies that had far-reaching implications in the fields of biotechnology and genetic engineering, benefiting the health and welfare of patients worldwide. He passed away in 2011. The Baxter family endowed the prize in his memory.

More information on ENDO 2023 is available at  https://www.endocrine.org/meetings-and-events/endo2023.

# # #

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.