Early history and breakthroughs in pharmaceutical industry
- The modern era of pharmaceutical industry began in the mid-1800s with the expansion of local apothecaries.
- Intentional drug discovery from plants started with the isolation of morphine in the early 1800s.
- German dye manufacturers perfected the purification of organic compounds in the late 1880s.
- Synthetic chemical methods allowed scientists to systematically vary the structure of chemical substances.
- The emerging science of pharmacology expanded the ability to evaluate the biological effects of structural changes.
- German apothecary assistant Friedrich Sertürner isolated morphine from opium between 1803 and 1805.
- German dye manufacturers developed methods for purifying organic compounds from tar and other sources.
- Scientists could systematically vary the structure of chemical substances due to the development of synthetic chemical methods.
- The discovery of epinephrine in 1897 led to the development of products for hemostatic and shock treatment.
- Japanese chemists identified ephedrine in the Ma Huang plant, which was marketed as an oral treatment for asthma.
- Adrenal extracts containing epinephrine were used as hemostatic agents and for shock treatment.
- John Abel identified epinephrine as the active principle in adrenal extracts in 1897.
- Epinephrine was formulated into an inhaler for nasal congestion treatment in 1929.
- Ephedrine, a structurally similar compound to epinephrine, was marketed as an oral treatment for asthma.
- Amphetamine was synthesized in 1929 and used for asthma, narcolepsy, and depression treatment.
- Diethylbarbituric acid, marketed as Veronal, was the first marketed barbiturate.
- Phenobarbital, discovered in 1911, became widely used for epilepsy treatment.
- Barbiturates and amphetamines faced increasing restrictions due to their addictive properties and abuse potential.
- Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), the first benzodiazepine, was discovered in 1958.
- Benzodiazepines largely replaced barbiturates in medicine due to their superior safety and therapeutic properties.
- Diabetes was found to be caused by the absence of a substance produced by the pancreas.
- In 1921, injections of pancreatic extract were shown to reverse diabetes symptoms.
- Insulin therapy was delayed by difficulties in producing sufficient quantity and purity of the material.
- Chemist George B. Walden of Eli Lilly and Company developed a method for producing relatively pure insulin.
- Prior to insulin therapy, the life expectancy of diabetics was only a few months.
- Arsphenamine (Salvarsan) was the first synthetic anti-infective drug developed in 1911.
- Arsphenamine was part of a campaign to synthesize compounds with selective absorption properties.
- Pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diarrhea were the leading causes of death in the early 1900s.
- The development of drugs for infectious diseases became a major focus of research.
- The discovery of antibiotics like penicillin revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections.
- Post-World War II saw an explosion in the discovery of new classes of antibacterial drugs.
- Cephalosporins, streptomycin, tetracyclines, and erythromycin were developed during this period.
- Streptomycin became the first effective treatment for tuberculosis.
- Antibiotic development contributed to a decline in the incidence of diseases they were effective against.
- Mortality rates for diseases like tuberculosis declined significantly.
- Vaccine development continued to accelerate after World War II.
- Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine in 1954.
- The polio vaccine was given to pharmaceutical companies to manufacture as a low-cost generic.
- Maurice Hilleman identified the SV40 virus, later found to cause tumors.
- Vaccines played a significant role in the decline of the U.S. death rate in the post-war years.
- SV40 contamination in vaccines.
- Measles vaccine developed by John Franklin Enders and Maurice Hilleman.
- Rubella vaccine developed by Maurice Hilleman.
- Mumps vaccine developed by Maurice Hilleman.
- Significant decrease in incidences of rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, measles, and mumps after widespread vaccination.
- Hypertension as a risk factor for various diseases.
- Early development of hypertension treatment with quaternary ammonium ion sympathetic nervous system blocking agents.
- Discovery of orally available vasodilator hydralazine.
- Development of chlorothiazide as widely used antihypertensive drug.
- Cochrane review showing thiazide antihypertensive drugs reducing risk of death, stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular events.
- Birth control prohibition prior to Second World War.
- Development of oral contraceptives tied to birth control movement and activists.
- Development of Enovid, the first oral contraceptive, by G.D. Searle & Co.
- Initial formulation of Enovid causing severe side effects.
- Dramatic changes in social mores due to availability of oral contraceptives.
- Congressional hearings led by Senator Estes Kefauver in 1959.
- Submission of new drug application for thalidomide by William S. Merrell Company.
- FDA medical officer Frances Kelsey's concerns about thalidomide's safety.
- Thalidomide tragedy leading to the passage of Kefauver-Harris Amendment.
- FDA receiving authority to regulate drug advertising and establish good manufacturing practices.
- Discovery of mevastatin as an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase.
- Toxic effects of mevastatin in animal studies.
- Isolation of lovastatin from Aspergillus terreus by Merck & Co.
- Merck-sponsored study on simvastatin showing positive results.
- Introduction of simvastatin as a cholesterol-lowering medication by Merck & Co.
Regulation and industry control
- Prior to the 20th century, there was little regulatory control over drug manufacturing.
Pharmaceutical industry Data Sources
| Reference | URL |
|---|---|
| Glossary | https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/pharmaceutical-industry |
| Wikipedia | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_industry |
| Wikidata | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q507443 |
| Knowledge Graph | https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/02q3wl |
