The list has been compiled by Peter Hogg for the group ProClinical Life Sciences. The list criss-crosses through history and Digital Journal provides a take on the different medications in the summary below.
10# Ether
Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers were first used as anaesthetics around 1846. The drug works, according to Hogg “by supressing people’s brain activity to the point that major operations can be carried out without the individual experiencing pain.”
9# HIV Protease inhibitors
One of the most successful drugs for treating HIV infection during the 1990s were protease inhibitors. This class of medicines succeed in keeping viral levels low. The first HIV protease inhibitor, saquinavir, is a peptidomimetic hydroxyethylamine and was marketed in 1995. Today there are a range of different types.
8# Chemotherapy drugs
Chemotherapy drugs are used to treat cancer, and specific medicines began to be used from the mid-1950s. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent (which almost always involves combinations of drugs), or it may aim to prolong life or to reduce symptoms (palliative chemotherapy).
7# Chlorpromazine
Chlorpromazine was the first official antipsychotic drug, discovered in 1951. It is primarily used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Other uses include the treatment of bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, nausea and vomiting, anxiety before surgery, and hiccups that do not improve following other measures.
6# Polio vaccine
Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent the virus poliomyelitis (polio). One type of vaccine uses inactivated poliovirus and is given by injection (IPV), while the other type uses weakened poliovirus and is given by mouth (OPV). The first vaccine was introduced in 1955.
5# Aspirin
Aspirin is one of the oldest pain relieving medications, having been first marketed by the German company Bayer in 1899. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid ASA), as well as being used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation; the drug is used long-term, at low doses, to help prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clot formation in people at high risk of developing blood clots.
4# Morphine
Morphine is an opiate type pain medication. The drug acts directly on the central nervous system (to decrease the feeling of pain. Morphine can be used for both acute pain and chronic pain. Morphine was first marketed in 1827, having been discovered by the German chemist Friedrich Serturner.
3# Smallpox vaccine
Infection with smallpox occurs in small blood vessels of the skin and in the mouth and throat before disseminating. In the skin leads to a characteristic maculopapular rash followed by raised fluid-filled blisters. Due to the development of the vaccine, smallpox became the first major disease to be eliminated.
2# Insulin
People with diabetes are unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. Insulin is a hormone involved in the conversion of sugar to energy. People with type 1 diabetes cannot make insulin because the beta cells in their pancreas are damaged or destroyed. Therefore, these people will need insulin injections to allow their body to process glucose and avoid complications from hyperglycemia.
1# Penicillin
Penicillin was ‘discovered’ by Alexander Fleming in 1928. During World War II the antibiotic began to be used more widely, leading to a generation of antibiotics and antimicrobials. The drug has saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, one of the key issues facing humanity today is the risks stemming from antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
Hogg’s selection has gained interest from the community on LinkedIn, most generally in agreement with the selection. One commentator, Daniel Jones, said: “There have been many drugs developed throughout history that have been pivotal in assisting the survival of vast populations of humans, as well as advancing medical and scientific knowledge.” A second person Max Parijs, was also in agreement with the selection. A third person, Victor Grayson, while in broad agreement, remarked: “I’d have put ether a little higher and also acknowledged the contribution of Joseph Lister to the use of disinfectants in surgery.”
