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Prozac
Klaus K. Schmiegel helped to change the lives of millions
of people around the world suffering from depression. His
work in organic chemistry lead to the development of the widely
successful antidepressant Prozac.
Born in Chemitz, Germany on June 28, 1939, Schmiegel immigrated
to the United States in 1951 to pursue higher education, earning
a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan,
an A.M. in organic chemistry from Dartmouth College, and a
Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stanford University. Upon
graduation he accepted a position with Eli Lilly as a senior
organic chemistry. He stayed at Eli Lilly from 1968 until
his retirement.
At Eli Lilly, Schmiegel worked with Bryan Molloy to create
a new set of compounds, which include a substance called fluoxetine
hydrochloride. This would become the active ingredient in
the world’s first commercially available selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter,
or chemical that carries messages between nerve cells, is
secreted by one cell and received by another. When the message
is received, a neurotransmitter is received by the original
secreting cell in a process called “reuptake.”
The SSRI known as Prozac is able to inhibit this process,
which contributes to the relief of the anxious feelings suffered
by those afflicted with depression disorders.
Prozac was first introduced in 1988, and has since revolutionized
treatment for depression, as well as for compulsive/obsessive
disorders, and premenstrual dysproic disorders. It has been
prescribed for more than 35 million patients. Schmiegel, with
Molloy, received Patent No. 4,314,081 for their new class
of “aryloxyphenylpropylamines.” Schmiegel received
a total of 18 patents related to the synthesis of compounds
over the course of his career.
In 1999, Schmiegel and Molloy were inducted in the Inventors’
Hall of Fame, and that year they also received the American
Innovator Award for their contributions to improved quality
of life in the 20th Century. Schmiegel retired from Eli Lilly
in 1993.
[June 2003]
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