Pharmaceutical Industry History

The first pharmaceutical company, Apothecaries' Hall, was founded in London, England in 1621.

Claude Bernard is considered the father of modern pharmacology for his work on the physiological effects of drugs.

Aspirin was the first synthetic drug to be developed, in 1897.

The first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.

Insulin was the first drug to be approved by the FDA, in 1923.

The first pharmaceutical company to be listed on the stock exchange was Merck & Co., in 1869.

Methotrexate was the first drug to be used to treat cancer, in 1948.

The first pharmaceutical company to be founded in India was Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, in 1900.

Quinine was the first drug to be developed in India, in 1820.

The first pharmaceutical company to be nationalized in India was Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, in 1955.

Ciplaxin was the first drug to be developed by an Indian pharmaceutical company, Cipla, in 1982.

The first pharmaceutical company to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange was Cipla, in 1975.

Ciplaxin was the first drug to be developed by a public sector pharmaceutical company in India, Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL), in 1982.

The first pharmaceutical company to be established in the United States was Merck & Co., in 1800.

Morphine was the first drug to be developed in the United States, in 1806.