Educator wins global award

Mercury Staff

Allan Dean Sherry will be named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors on Jun. 27 in Washington DC among other prestigious inventors. A retired pioneer in modern imaging agents and the founder of the specialized international molecular supplier Macrocyclics, Sherry has been granted the highest honor for his 34 world changing patents.

Sherry’s work was previously recognized with high honors from the World Molecular Imaging Society, the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

Some of his most notable patents include bifunctional polyaza macrocyclic chelating (BFC) agents and magnetic resonance reagents (MRR). The BFC agents have uses in therapeutic medicine in all primate mammals, as they contain a complex covalent tha t has significantly advanced nuclear imaging in animals. The MRR is one of the most effective methods of sensitive detection and imaging in MRI scans across the world.

One of Sherry’s most remarkable inventions came early in his career to revolutionize the field of radiology. This patent came after Sherry’s work with Nobel Prize winner Paul Lauterbur, whose work led to the development of the MRI.

“The very first patent that I wrote was on a complex called Gadolinium Dota, and without worrying about what the structure is, turns out to be a very stable, really an excellent MRI contrast agent,” said Sherry. “That compound, now after the university's patent ran out, is now the largest selling contrast agent in the world and certainly in the United States. It makes impacts every day.”

To this day, Macrocyclics is one of two officially recognized specialized molecular suppliers for nuclear radiology in the world and serves 2,000 loyal customers a year.

“It's something to be said about being the first in the field. Being the early company out there,” Sherry said. “For, I say, the first five years, [Macrocyclics] were the only ones doing what we did and making these bifunctional chelates available.”

The National Academy of Inventors only accepts the highest professional inventors from across the world into their membership of fellows. These individuals are responsible for inventions with a tangible impact on economic development and the welfare of human species. Sherry’s own award commemorates his 50 years of experience in an

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