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C O N T E N T S
A new era of logical drug design
Discovery of H2-receptor antagonists
A new receptor
Success at last
A better manufacturing process
The people
Landmark designation and acknowledgments
Tagamet®: A medicine that changed people's lives As late as the 1970s a peptic ulcer could be a life-threatening condition. Sufferers often endured
periods of intense pain over many years, especially at mealtimes and at night, with social and
economic repercussions for themselves and their families. Left untreated, an ulcer could result in
severe bleeding and death. A major cause of ulcers is the release of excess stomach acid, which leads to breaches in the lining of
the intestinal tract. Continuing acid secretion prevents healing. The main treatment used to be the
administration of alkalis, which provided only temporary relief. Patients were told to rest and follow a
bland diet. Surgery to remove part of the stomach was a last resort. The discovery of the compound cimetidine by researchers at the UK laboratories of Smith Kline & French*
in the 1970s, transformed the lives of millions of people. Sold under the trademark Tagamet®,
it was the first effective anti-ulcer drug and had a revolutionary impact on treatment. Tagamet®
profoundly decreases acid secretion, thus promoting healing and avoiding the need for surgery. The American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry designated the discovery of histamine
H2-receptor antagonists, which led to the development of Tagamet®, as an International
Historic Chemical Landmark in ceremonies in Harlow, United Kingdom, on November 24, 1997, and in King of
Prussia, Pennsylvania, on February 27, 1998.
* Now GlaxoSmithKline. At the time of the ACS and RSC designation of Landmark status, the company was known as
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.
A new era of logical drug design |
Discovery of H2-receptor antagonists |
A new receptor
Success at last |
A better manufacturing process |
The people |
Landmark designation and acknowledgments
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