PISCOl tasoratories inc

SYRACUSE 1,NEW YORK

August 25, 1959

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Dear Joshua:

As you may have guessed, we have had a very busy summer
making and evaluating our new penicillin. We hope to hit
the market with our first one this fall.

We have checked out a number of penicillins with iodine in
an aromatic ring of the side chain. The over-all activity
as judged by minimum inhibitory concentration and ability
to cure in vivo infections has been quite low. Also our
British confreres have made a number with amino acid as the
side chain. Nothing very interesting here from the point
of view of new properties. There is a bit more Gran-
negative activity as one would suspect from what we know of
cephalosporin N (synnemetin B).

We have had an application from a fellow who had some contact
with you at Wisconsin, Frank Piraino. What is your opinion
of him? We are looking for someone who is quite strong

and can hold his own as a researcher.

Well, back to the penicillins. As ever.

Sincerely yours,

BRISTOL LABORATORIES IC.

~y

    

seph Lein, Director
Microbiolo;ical Research

JLe:ac