The pharmaceutical industry spend untold jillion of one dollar bill attempt to discover the next wonder drug . The potential profits from a breakthrough drug can be counted in the trillion of dollar sign — and a heavy new medicinal drug can improve the lives of infinite the great unwashed .
But sometimes the keen breakthrough in drug development come from the weird sources . Here are 10 drug that started their life as poison , road coverings , or as treatments for very different maladies .
Top image bynocturnalMoTHon deviantArt .
10 . Rogaine
Rogaine ( Minoxidil ) first came to market as Loniten , a drug used totreat high blood line pressure . user observed an interesting side effect — Loniten increased the dark of hair and get hair growth . The Upjohn Corporation before long produced a minify strength adaptation to be sold over the rejoinder for unmediated program to the scalp .
One of the downsides of Rogaine is the need for continued program to prevent whisker exit , but it’snot bannedby the International Olympic Committee like another anti - baldness drug . ( See below . )
9 . Pink Bismuth
Bismuth is an element , so it did not follow the typical drug developing dodging . The heavy metal is of little apparent use , but is make love for its extremely low thermal conductivity and low human toxicity . Bismuth ’s pharmaceutic lotion comes through the consumption of Bismuth subsalicylate , the active ingredient in the anti - diarrheals Pink Bismuth ( better known as Pepto - Bismol ) and Kaopectate . The component is also used in the form of Bismuth subgallate , a component of theinternal deodorantDevrom , an over the counter medicament for pre-emptive remotion of fecal olfactory sensation . If you ever have a blow great mullein and some Pepto - Bismol around , you canrecover the solid bismuth oxide slagif you are ever bored enough and like fire .
8 . Botulinum toxin
Botulinum is themost brawny neurotoxin known to man , but for some reason , people started come in the protein into their foreheads to stopeyelid twitchingand cosmetically toparalyze muscles in the foreheadto alleviate glower line in 1989 .
The enhancive use of Botox unfold up the availableness of the protein and made an boulevard for other use , with medical grade botulinum toxin currently used to alleviate symptom ofParkinson ’s disease , vesica spasm , andchronic migraines .
7 . Finasteride
Finasteride , better known as Proscar or Propecia , is a particle initially used for treatment of anenlarged prostate . Like Loniten , an interesting side effect occurred with finasteride users , as prospicient - term use resulting in a decrease in manlike pattern phalacrosis .
Finasteride competes with testosterone for binding to 5 - alpha reductase , decreasing the bulk of the prostate and preclude testosterone from conversion to more brawny androgens in the scalp . Propecia also cloak performance enhance drugs , leading to the banning of the drugin many summercater .
6 . Coal tar
A brownish pitch-black liquid leave behind over from the use of ember as fuel , coal Jack containsa plethora of hydrocarbonsand is traditionally used to pave road or forbid plant louse infestation and dandruff when add up to shampoo .
The National Psoriasis Foundation recently aim thetopical software of ember tarto skin afflicted with psoriasis , as coal gob slows the growth of hide cellular telephone in the apply sphere .
5 . Penicillin
The undivided most important discovery on this list , and one I ’m sure most of you are intimate with . Alexander Flemingis remark for discovering that Penicillium chrysogenum , a blue - gullible fungi that loves moist environments , secretes a nub with antibacterial properties when grown in the right situation . A stray spore of mould landed landed on a bacteria culture used in Fleming ’s enquiry , leading to his keen observation .
In the years since Fleming ’s coincidence discovery , historian paid close attention to Greek records of using mold to cure ill along with the nineteenth Century bacterial research ofJames TyndallandLouis Pasteur .
4 . Acetylsalicylic acid
Hippocrateswrote that an extract from the barque of the willow tree diagram relieved pain in the neck and quelled fevers , with several culture , includingNative Americans , independently determining the special attributes of the bark . The active fixings in the willow tree tree bark , salicylic acid , is a industrial plant hormone playing office in photosynthesis and industrial plant growth .
We do n’t gnaw on barque any more to relieve a headache or fever ( although that would be interesting ) , we just grab a nursing bottle of aspirin , containing the derivativeacetylsalicylic acid , instead , as it is a little easier the digestive piece of land than salicylic pane .
3 . Coumadin
Your papa or gran plausibly learn Warfarin ( also known as Coumadin ) to preventblood clots , going in to check theirINRreadings every duet of week . The same thing your relatives take as a preventive quantity to extend their lives start out as a quick and dirty way tokill rats .
A comparatively low dose of warfarin will cause rats to bleed out ( work in the same manner as it would to prevent blood clots in humanity ) , due to a much eminent drug to mass ratio . Warfarin is still used as a so-and-so poisonous substance , but it is becoming less vernacular as some rats are develop aresistanceto the molecule .
2 . Viagra
Sildenafil citrate , also know as the scourge of retreat rest home or Viagra in some circles , began as compoundUK-92,480 , reaching phase 1 clinical trials for treatment ofhypertension and angina . Sildenafil citrate did n’t perform well in trial run to treat either malady , but molecule did give patients erections .
Pfizer purchased the company that developed UK-92,480 and quickly swap the aim of sildenafil citrate , making it the first drug on the market specifically toinduce erectionsin 1998 . Viagra is also used ( off - label ) for alleviation ofjet lag . Sildenafil citrate is available in high doses under the nameRevatio , a pharmaceutical treatment for pulmonic high blood pressure . Do n’t get too happy if you ’re give a prescription for Revatio , as your organic structure quickly acclimates to the dosing agenda ( 20 mg , multiple times a twenty-four hour period ) , tossing aside the glamorous side effect .
1 . Nitrogen Mustards
Release of mustard gas on citizen of Italy during World War IIdecreased the number of lymphocytesin let on individuals . Clinical trials underway at the same timein secret at Yale Universityused nitrogen mustard to battle malignant neoplastic disease . Bis(2 - chloroethyl)methylamine ( better known as the chemic warfare federal agent HN2 ) is one of the best known N mustards , with HN2 becoming the first anticancer chemotherapy drug .
HN2 is rarely used in modern chemotherapy and is still sort out as aschedule 1 weaponby the Chemical Weapons Convention . The molecule engender several derived function over the years — analogues at the front line of modern Crab treatment .
Images courtesy of CC sources , the University of Florida , and Pfizer . Sources linked within the article .
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