1. History
     Synthesizing new medications    Beginning of mass production    Controlled drug release    Formation of the ISPE  

2. See also

3. References

History

Humans have a long history of using derivatives of natural resources, such as plants, as medication. However, it was not until the late 19th century when the technological advancements of chemical companies were combined with medical research that scientists began to manipulate and engineer new medications, drug delivery techniques, and methods of mass production.^[2]

Synthesizing new medications

One of the first prominent examples of an engineered, synthetic medication was made by Paul Erlich. Erlich had found that Atoxyl, an arsenic-containing compound which is harmful to humans, was very effective at killing Treponema pallidum, the bacteria which causes Syphilis. He hypothesized that if the structure of Atoxyl was altered, a “magic bullet” could potentially be identified which would kill the parasitic bacteria without having any adverse effects on human health.^[3] He developed many compounds stemming from the chemical structure of Atoxyl and eventually identified one compound which was the most effective against Syphilis while being the least harmful to humans, which became known as Salvarsan. Salvarsan was widely used to treat Syphilis within years of its discovery.^[4]

Beginning of mass production

In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered a mold named Penicillium chrysogenum which prevented many types of bacteria from growing. Scientists identified the potential of this mold to provide treatment in humans against bacteria which cause infections. During World War II, the United Kingdom and the United States worked together to find a method of mass producing Penicillin,^[5] a derivative of the Penicillium mold, which had the potential to save many lives during the war since it could treat infections common in injured soldiers. Although Penicillin could be isolated from the mold in a laboratory setting, there was no known way to obtain the amount of medication needed to treat the quantity of people who needed it. Scientists with major chemical companies such as Pfizer were able to develop a deep-fermentation process which could produce a high yield of penicillin. In 1944, Pfizer opened the first penicillin factory, and its products were exported to aid the war efforts overseas.^[6]

Controlled drug release

Formation of the ISPE

In 1980, the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering was formed to support and guide professionals in the pharmaceutical industry through all parts of the process of bringing new medications to the market. The ISPE writes standards and guidelines for individuals and companies to use and to model their practices after. The ISPE also hosts training sessions and conferences for professionals to attend, learn, and collaborate with others in the field.^[10]

See also

• Drug discovery
• Drug development
• Modified-release dosage
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical industry

References

• BD+36 2147
• BD+40 4210
• BD+40° 4210
• BD+43 3654
• BD+48 740
• Bd-5
• BD+602522
• BD92
• BD 92
• BDA China Limited
• B. dalzielii
• Bdama
• B-Daman CrossFire
• B-Daman Crossfire
• B-Daman Fireblast
• B.D. Arts College
• B. darwinii (disambiguation)
• Bdat dzutim
• BD-Audio
• B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library
• B-day
• B'Day
• B'Day (disambiguation)
• B-Day (Tankard album)
• BD Bacatá