Category: Medical history

First introduced in 1910 as a revolutionary "magic bullet" for treating syphilis, Salvarsan was an arsenic-based drug developed by Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich and his Japanese colleague, Sahachiro Hata. Its use was ultimately discontinued due to significant toxicity, challenging administration, and the advent of a far superior alternative, which is why Salvarsan is no longer used today.

Between 5 and 10 million Americans were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before the FDA advised against its use in pregnant women in 1971 [1.3.4, 1.5.5]. So, is diethylstilbestrol still used today? While largely discontinued, it has very limited applications.

In 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved imatinib (brand name Gleevec), marking a monumental shift in cancer treatment as it was the first rationally designed kinase inhibitor to directly target a specific cancer-causing protein. Its approval opened the door to a new era of precision medicine, demonstrating that targeted therapy could be a safe and highly effective alternative to conventional chemotherapy.

Archaeological evidence suggests medicinal plant use dates to the Palaeolithic age [1.2.6]. But when it comes to written records, which is the world's oldest medicine? The answer lies in ancient texts and millennia of human ingenuity.

While the term "wonder drug" has been applied to several medications throughout history, penicillin is often cited as the first, saving countless lives by treating bacterial infections. This article explores why not just one, but a select few drugs have earned this extraordinary title, defining medical advancement and challenging our perception of cures.

In 1931, the U.S. government issued a judgment of condemnation against San Cura ointment, declaring the product to be misbranded and ordering its destruction. This historical event reveals that San Cura was not a reliable treatment, contrary to its advertisements that promised cures for numerous ailments.

Discovered in the late 1970s from a single soil microbe in Japan, ivermectin was not initially intended for people [1.2.2]. So, was ivermectin originally made for humans? The answer is no; it was first introduced as a revolutionary veterinary drug in 1981 [1.10.2, 1.3.3].

During the peak of its popularity in 1978, a record 2.3 billion tablets of Valium were sold in the U.S., making it the most-prescribed drug of the era. Therefore, a likely candidate for the question, 'what was the little yellow pill in the 1970s?,' is Valium, though other sedatives like Quaaludes also played a significant role in the decade's drug culture.

Many people are surprised to learn that most dentists stopped using Novocaine in the 1940s and 1950s, replacing it with more effective alternatives. The iconic term 'Novocaine' has persisted in pop culture, but modern dental anesthesia has evolved significantly for improved patient safety and comfort.

Marketed in 1926, Plasmoquine, also known as pamaquine or Plasmochin, was the first synthetic antimalarial drug developed [1.2.2, 1.2.3]. This article explores the critical question for any medication: How quickly does plasmoquine work, and what was its role in the fight against malaria?