• Question: What would you say was the most significant development/ discovery in the drug development industry?

    Asked by to Amy, Anita, Daryl, Nimesh, Sandra on 25 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Anita Thomas

      Anita Thomas answered on 25 Jun 2014:

      Easy!

      Paul Ehrlich won the Nobel prize for his ‘magic bullets’, linking drugs to antibodies, so that the antibody targets the correct tissue, and doesn’t go anywhere else. This is such a simple idea, and we use it all the time now in many different fields eg cardiovascular, cancer, imaging

      Great man.

    • Photo: Amy Monaghan

      Amy Monaghan answered on 25 Jun 2014:

      Hi Hannah

      I think this is more difficult one actually because there have just been so many different discoveries that have moved the industry forwards. It’s quite an old discovery now but I think the ability to mass produce insulin in bacteria has revolutionised the way we produce and purify many human hormones and growth factors. Before this it had to be produced and purified from the pancreas of cows and pigs slaughtered for food, which was expensive and could cause allergic reactions. The newer method is cheap and safe, and has helped millions and millions of people.

      I think the work we’re now doing with stem cells and personalised genomics will be the next big development in the drug industry.

    • Photo: Daryl Jones

      Daryl Jones answered on 26 Jun 2014:

      The most significant discover, i believe, is the discovery of penicillin (antibiotics). It has saved countless lives, and definitely saved my life…i’ve had to use antibiotics to fight off infections lots of times. And if you’ve used antibiotics, it might have saved your life too! Brilliant discovery 🙂

      Good question! You have some awesome ones.

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