Retired pharmacist Marla Ahlgrimm knows how excruciatingly long it takes to discover, test, and release a drug for human trials. However, while this can take 15 years or more and cost more than $1 billion, she says there have been a few serendipitous breakthroughs in medical science that were discovered by accident.
Viagra
Many men who pass their 50th birthday rely on Viagra to keep their love life active. However, Marla Ahlgrimm explains that sildenafil was originally developed to treat angina. Unfortunately, the drug causes significant and potentially fatal side effects in individuals who had to continue to use nitrates. However, during the first trial, many men reported unintentional erections. By 1998, Viagra was on the market and has continued to have positive vasodilation effects on men across the world.
Valium
Diazepam, which is marketed under the brand name Valium, is used to treat withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and seizures. It’s also often used as a medication to sedate individuals before surgery. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, the compounds that would eventually lead to the discovery of this important medication were part of the efforts of New Jersey chemist Leo Sternbach who, in the 1930s, used it to develop synthetic dyes.
Digoxin
Digoxin is a crucial medication for people suffering with congestive heart failure. It’s derived from the foxglove plant, which has been used by humans since at least the mid-13th century. In 1785, an English physician named William Withering had a patient with significant heart problems that he was unable to fix. The patient, whose name has been lost to history, visited a local herbalist and began drinking a tea that was later found to contain digoxin. Today, the medication is also used to treat bronchitis and a number of other conditions.
Topamax
Topamax was originally used to help treat diabetes. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that this oral hypoglycemic agent was subsequently found to have a positive effect on people with epilepsy. Today, Topamax is used as an antiepileptic and also to treat migraines. Marla Ahlgrimm says that this is one time when history repeats itself, and Topamax has recently been studied again to help treat diabetes and to assist with weight management for chronically obese individuals.
Lithium
If you ask the average person what lithium and urine had in common, the answer would probably be: nothing. But, thanks to World War II psychiatrist Dr. John Cade, who injected guinea pigs with the urine of healthy and mentally ill patients as part of the medical experiment, we now have this effective mood stabilizer. Urine from individuals suffering from mania killed guinea pigs faster than urine from healthy people. Marla Ahlgrimm says the doctor began adding a lithium solution to the urine of healthy individuals. He realized that the guinea pigs were soon calm, and he injected himself with lithium (which was then used to treat bladder stones) to make sure that it was safe for those with psychiatric disorders.
Penicillin
Marla Ahlgrimm says that the most famous accidental medical breakthrough was penicillin. Sometime in the 1920s, Prof. Alexander Fleming went on vacation. Like most excited people do, he left his workspace an absolute mess. Upon return, he noticed one Petri dish free and clear of bacteria. The mold on the glass excreted a substance that would later be used to treat infections.
Botox
One final medication on Marla Ahlgrimm’s list: Botox. Botulism is a dangerous disease that comes from eating spoiled meat. But, in the 1970s, a research team of ophthalmologists determined that this neurotoxin could treat involuntary eye movements. Fast-forward to the 1980s, and Botox became one of the most popular drugs used in cosmetic procedures.
Marla Ahlgrimm has co-authored two ground-breaking books,