1980–1989

Scientist using a liquid scintillation counter http://phil.cdc.gov/phil.​

​Timeline of key medical research achievements in the 1980s:

1980 

• Discovery of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for amplifying DNA (US)

1981 

• Acyclovir (Wellcome) major treatment for herpes launched
• Antibiotic Augmentin (Beecham) launched
• Captopril (Bristol-Myers Squibb) first angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor for high blood pressure
• Ranitidine (Glaxo) anti-ulcer treatment launched

1982 

• Fluconazole (Pfizer) key advance in treating fungal infections
• Sir John Vane awarded Nobel Prize for work on aspirin and prostaglandins

1983 

• Isolation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Sumatriptan (Glaxo) major advance in migraine

1984 

• Cholestyramine trial shows lowering of cholesterol and coronary heart disease  

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) 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
  

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