Education
from the Université de Montréal and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1950 at McGill University.
from the Université de Montréal and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1950 at McGill University.
Born in Montreal, Quebec, he gained his Bachelor of Science (1947) and Master of Science During his time at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research he discovered the Fujimoto-Belleau reaction, which is named after him and George I. Fujimoto. After various academic research postings in the United States. and Canada he became Professor of Chemistry at the University of Ottawa in 1961.
He moved to McGill University in 1971.
Belleau worked in the 1960s and 1970s on research programs with Bristol Laboratories, one of which led to the non-narcotic analgesic Butorphanol. Butorphanol was found to have over five times the potency of morphine with far fewer side effects.
Butorphanol is often used to relieve post-surgical pain and in the management of migraine headaches. The trio began work on the anti-Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome drug, 2,3 dideoxy – 3-thiacytidine (3TC).
Just prior to his death in 1989 he laid the foundations for Lamivudine"s development, which was a significant advance in the fight against Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and is credited with saving over 2 million lives.
In 2000, he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame In 1977/78 he was awarded a Killam fellowship from The Canada Council for the Arts.