Drug Information Q&A Q5. When were the foundations for the drugs in use today laid?
Answer
The foundation for most modern drugs was laid in the first half of the 20th century. They are made by extracting active ingredients from natural materials (plants, animals, minerals, etc.), chemically modifying them, or chemically synthesizing the same ingredients.
Explanation
It is said that Hippocrates, the father of medicine in ancient Greece, made a painkiller from willow bark and branches.
In the 19th century, a scholar who was interested in the effects of the willow tree chemically analyzed its leaves and twigs, and found salicylic acid. Salicylic acid was the active ingredient in the plant's analgesic and antipyretic properties.
Salicylic acid was later used extensively in the treatment of rheumatism, but at the same time, strong side effects such as gastrointestinal disorders appeared. As a result, research was conducted to reduce the side effects of salicylic acid, and as a result, a chemically modified and chemically synthesized drug, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), a well-known analgesic, was developed.
In this way, chemical research to reduce side effects and increase efficacy has contributed to the development of modern drugs, and it can be said that the development of drugs has made a significant contribution to the development of modern chemistry.
Similar chemical methods have been used in the development of codeine (poppy) to stop coughs and diarrhea, colchicine (dog saffron) to treat gout attacks and Behcet's disease, atropine (hashiridokoro) to dilate the pupils and suppress stomach cramps, and purpurea (a cardiotonic drug) to treat heartburn. Atropine, which widens pupils and suppresses stomach cramps; purpurea glycoside, a cardiotonic drug (source plant: digitalis); and tranilast, which has antiallergic properties and suppresses coughs (source plant: nandina), were all produced from plants.
From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, bacteriology emerged in Europe, led by Pasteur and Koch.
Pasteur developed vaccination methods and invented rabies vaccines. Koch discovered anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera bacteria, contributing greatly to the subsequent development of chemistry, medicine, and pharmacology.
In Japan, the first Japanese pharmaceutical company, Dainippon Pharmaceutical Company, was established in 1873 with the support of the Japanese government.
In Osaka, "Osaka Pharmaceutical Testing Company" was established in 1888 by a group of drug wholesalers, and in 1897, "Osaka Pharmaceutical Corporation" was established by leading drug wholesalers in Doshomachi.
In the beginning, the company focused on imported medicines, and the business of domestically produced drugs was not very exciting. However, World War I in 1914 made it difficult to import drugs from overseas, and the price of foreign drugs skyrocketed. The Japanese pharmaceutical industry continued to expand in the years that followed.
Japan's pharmaceutical industry continued to develop remarkably, with twists and turns, and rapidly caught up with the advanced Western countries in the field of chemical research, which is the foundation for the development of medicines.
Chart/Column
5｜Samples of crude drugs
Plants, animals, and minerals are collected and managed as drugs.
Source: Collection of the Naito Museum of Pharmaceutical Science
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