Table 1. Time line of some major events in medicines research and use 1952 - 2006
| 1952 |
- Salk polio vaccine developed (US)
|
| 1953 |
- DNA Double helix discovered by Watson & Crick
|
| 1954 |
- First successful kidney transplantation in USA
|
| 1955 |
- First oral treatment for diabetes introduced (Germany)
|
| 1957 |
- Interferon first isolated and named by Isaacs & Lindenman at NIMR, London
- Imipramine shown to be effective in depression
- Halothane (ICI/Zeneca) anaesthetic gas introduced
|
| 1959 |
- First semi-synthetic penicillin marketed
|
| 1960 |
- Methicillin launched - active against many resistant bacteria
- Metronidazole (Rhône-Poulenc) for parasitic and anaerobic bacterial infections
|
| 1961 |
- Allopurinol (Wellcome) developed for gout and arthritis
|
| 1962 |
- 1961-3 first benzodiazepines (Roche) for depression
- First oral contraceptive launched - Anovlar (Schering Health Care)
- Azathioprine (Wellcome) patented for immuno-suppression
|
| 1963 |
- Ampicillin (Beecham) major antibiotic discovered
|
| 1964 |
- Ibuprofen/Flurbiprofen (Boots) for arthritis and inflammation
|
| 1965 |
- Propranolol (ICI/Zeneca) a beta-blocker for heart disease
|
| 1967 |
- Becotide (Allen & Hanburys) for asthma
- First heart transplant by Christiaan Barnard in South Africa
|
| 1968 |
- Sodium cromoglycate (Fisons) breakthrough in asthma
|
| 1969 |
- Salbutamol (Glaxo) introduced for asthma
|
| 1970 |
- Levodopa (L-dopa) a major advance in Parkinson’s
|
| 1971 |
- Mechanism of action of Aspirin discovered by Sir John Vane
|
| 1972 |
- Hounsfield develops X-ray computed tomography (CAT-scanning)
|
| 1973 |
- Tamoxifen (ICI) introduced for hormone-dependent tumours
|
| 1975 |
- Monoclonal antibodies discovered by Kohler and Milstein (UK)
- Clozapine (Sandoz) first atypical neuroleptic for schizophrenia enters clinical trial
- Clotrimazole (Bayer) a major advance in treating fungal infections
- Nifedipine (Bayer) for angina and hypertension
|
| 1976 |
- Atenolol (ICI) a beta-blocker introduced for various heart conditions
- Cyclosporin (Sandoz) a major advance in transplantation
- Cimetidine (SmithKline Beecham) launched for peptic ulcers
|
| 1977 |
- Sanger and colleagues publish first sequence of a whole DNA genome (bacteriophage)
|
| 1978 |
- Birth of Louise Brown after Steptoe & Edwards develop In Vitro Fertilisation
- Ranitidine (Glaxo) anti-ulcer treatment discovered
|
| 1979 |
- Smallpox eradicated from the world
- Interferon gene first cloned
|
| 1980 |
- Discovery of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for amplifying DNA (US)
|
| 1981 |
- Captopril (Bristol-Myers Squibb) first ACE inhibitor for high blood pressure
|
| 1982 |
- Fluconazole (Pfizer) - key advance in treating fungal infections
|
| 1983 |
- Sir John Vane awarded Nobel Prize for work on aspirin and prostaglandins
- Isolation of HIV as the cause of AIDS
- Sumatriptan (Glaxo) - major advance in migraine
|
| 1984 |
- Cholestyramine - trial shows lowering of cholesterol and coronary heart disease
- Antibiotic Augmentin (Beecham) launched
|
| 1985 |
- Acyclovir (Wellcome) - major treatment for herpes launched
|
| 1986 |
- ACE inhibitor Enalapril (MSD) launched for high blood pressure
- Orthoclone (Ortho) for transplantation - first licensed human monoclonal antibody
|
| 1987 |
- Zidovudine (Wellcome) - first AIDS treatment launched
|
| 1988 |
- Lisinopril (ICI/Zeneca) ACE inhibitor for hypertension and heart failure
- Nobel Prize awarded to Sir James Black for medicines discovery
- Diclofenac (Ciba-Geigy), an anti-inflammatory agent, launched
- Erythropoietin (Janssen-Cilag), natural red blood cell stimulator, launched in the UK
|
| 1989 |
- Omeprazole (Astra) launched for gastric ulcers
- Simvastatin (MSD) launched for lowering blood lipids
- Fluoxetine (Eli Lilly) launched for depression
|
| 1990 |
- COX-2, a major new target for anti-inflammatory drugs, discovered by scientists at Searle
- First gene therapy experiment in a person with adenosine deaminase deficiency
|
| 1991 |
- Filgrastim (Amgen) white blood-cell stimulant, G-CSF launched in UK
- Inhaled form of steroid Beclometasone (3M Health Care) licensed for use in asthma
|
| 1992 |
- Etidronate (Procter & Gamble). First bisphosphonate in UK for osteoporosis
|
| 1993 |
- Specific monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor Selegiline (Orion) approved for Parkinson’s disease
- Acarbose (Bayer) first alpha glucosidase inhibitor for type 2 diabetes
- Paclitaxel (Bristol-Myers Squibb) approved in UK for treatment of ovarian cancer
|
| 1994 |
- Dual serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor Venlafaxine (Wyeth) approved for depression
- Selective H2-receptor blocker Ranitidine (GlaxoWellcome) licensed for relief of acid indigestion
|
| 1995 |
- Lamotrigine (Wellcome) - major advance launched as monotherapy in epilepsy treatment
- Interferon beta-1b (Schering Health Care) - first treatment for multiple sclerosis
|
| 1996 |
- Olanzapine (Eli Lilly) introduced for schizophrenia
- Losartan (MSD) first angiotensin 2 receptor antagonist for high blood pressure
- Ropinirole (SmithKline Beecham) launched for Parkinson’s disease
- Saquinavir (Roche) launched - first protease inhibitor for AIDS in UK
|
| 1997 |
- Malarone (Glaxo Wellcome) a new treatment for P. falciparum malaria is introduced
- First medicines for Alzheimer’s disease available - Donepezil (Pfizer) and Tacrine (Parke-Davis)
- Latanoprost (Pharmacia & Upjohn) first prostaglandin analogue for glaucoma
- Reboxetine (Pharmacia & Upjohn) first noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor for depression
|
| 1998 |
- Viagra (Pfizer) first treatment for erectile dysfunction
- UK Prospective Diabetes Study results published with important consequences for disease management
- Rituximab (Roche) launched for rheumatoid arthritis
- Montelukast (MSD), a new class of inhaled medication, authorised for asthma
|
| 1999 |
- Bicalutamide (Zeneca) launched for prostate cancer
- Meningitis vaccination programme initiated
- Zanamivir (Glaxo Wellcome) first neuraminidase inhibitor for treating influenza launched in the UK
- Oxaliplatin (Sanofi-Synthélabo) introduced for metastatic colorectal cancer
|
| 2000 |
- Herceptin (Roche) approved for breast cancer
- New class of oral anti-diabetic agents introduced - Rosiglitazone (GSK) and Pioglitazone (Takeda)
- Bupropion (GSK) launched for smoking cessation
|
| 2001 |
- Sequencing of human genome reported to have been completed
- Sir Paul Nurse and Dr Tim Hunt (UK) awarded Nobel Prize together with Dr Leland Hartwell (US) for research on cell cycle regulation of major relevance to the development of new cancer therapies
- Caspofungin (MSD) - first of new class of antifungal agents approved
- Glivec (Novartis) a major advance in treating chronic myeloid leukaemia introduced
- Linezolid (Pharmacia) - first entirely new class of antibiotic in 30 years
|
| 2002 |
- Tiotropium (Boehringer) first long-acting anti-muscarinic agent for treating COPD launched
- First vaccine to protect against chickenpox Varilrix (GSK) introduced
- Xigris (Eli Lilly) treatment for life-threatening sepsis made available
- Insulin glargine (Aventis) first long-acting insulin analogue for diabetes launched
|
| 2003 |
- First fusion-inhibitor Fuzeon (Roche) for antiretroviral-resistant HIV infections introduced
- Ezetimibe (MSD/Schering-Plough), a new type of cholesterol-lowering agent, launched in the UK
- Recombinant PTH teriparatide (Eli Lilly) launched for treating post-menopausal osteoporosis
|
| 2004 |
- First medical treatment for stress incontinence in women, Duloxetine (Eli Lilly/Boehringer)
- Introduction of Bortezomib (Janssen-Cilag) for treating multiple myeloma
- Approval of the angiotensin receptor blocker Candesartan (Astra-Zeneca) and aldosterone antagonist Eplerenone (Pfizer) improves prospects for the treatment of heart failure
- Monoclonal antibody Efalizumab (Serono) launched for treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis
|
| 2005 |
- Erlotinib (Roche) new oral treatment for advanced or metastatic lung cancer launched
- Anti-IgE monoclonal antibody Xolair (Novartis) introduced for asthma treatment
- First treatment Rivastigmine (Novartis) for dementia in Parkinson’s disease introduced
- Approval of two new monoclonal antibodies - Cetuximab (Merck) and Bevacizumab (Roche) improves survival prospects for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
|
| 2006 |
- New type of antibiotic Tigecycline (Wyeth) approved for complicated skin and abdominal infections
- Anti-TNF-Α monoclonal antibody Infliximab (Schering-Plough) introduced as first biological agent for severe, treatment-resistant ulcerative colitis, following earlier approval in Crohn’s disease
- First inhaled insulin Exubera (Pfizer) approved for diabetes
- Rotarix (GSK) launched as first vaccine to protect infants against gastroenteritis due to rotavirus
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