| Abstract
| - In this Perspective, which describes the achievements recognized by the 2007 ACS Award for CreativeInvention, we discuss the discovery of a new synthetic reaction and its translation into a substantiallyimproved method for manufacturing a major pharmaceutical productthe blockbuster anticancer drug,paclitaxel. The role of creativity in the discovery and invention processes is also discussed. As is oftenthe case, chance discovery and serendipitous findings played a role in the evolution of this work. Translationof the basic research into a commercially viable paclitaxel semisynthesis is also described. The finalmanufacturing process illustrates the enormous impact that the globalization of markets has had on chemicaland pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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