Klaus Schmiegel
Encyclopedia
Klaus Schmiegel is most famous for his work in organic chemistry
, which led to the invention of Prozac, a widely used antidepressant
. Born in Chemitz, Germany
, he moved to the U.S. in 1951 to continue his education. After he finished his schooling, Schmiegel joined Eli Lilly
as a senior organic chemist; he worked there from 1968 until his retirement in 1993. There, he collaborated with Bryan Molloy to create a new group of compounds. One of them, fluoxetine hydrochloride, became the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
(SSRI) used in the first antidepressant medication, Prozac. The drug, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988, has revolutionized treatment for depression. In 1999, Schmiegel and Molloy were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
and given the American Innovator Award. Throughout his career, Schmiegel garnered eighteen patent
s related to the synthesis of compounds.
from the University of Michigan
, an A.M.
in organic chemistry from Dartmouth College
, and a Ph.D in organic chemistry from Stanford University
. His strong educational background secured him a prestigious position as a senior organic chemist at Eli Lilly, a prominent pharmaceutical company
.
in the 1960s, scientists Klaus Schmiegel and Bryan Molloy, with the help of David Wong and Ray Fuller, searched for a compound to combat depression. Because depression and similar psychiatric disorders are associated with reduced serotonin
levels, they focused their approach on prohibiting serotonin reuptake. During a regular nerve signal transmission, a neurotransmitter
such as serotonin travels from a presynaptic neuron to a postsynaptic neuron; the neurotransmitter returns to the presynaptic neuron after fulfilling its function, the reuptake
process. Therefore, slowing and diminishing serotonin reuptake boosts serotonin levels in the brain.
The scientists based their search on the template of the antihistamine
drug diphenhydramine hydrochloride, commonly known as Benadryl
. After many failures, the research team synthesized a group of compounds called aryloxyphenylpropylamines. Upon testing, a member of the group, fluoxetine hydrochloride, proved to affect only the neurotransmitter serotonin. This compound became the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and the active ingredient in the vastly popular and effective drug Prozac.
, and a remedy for severe depression. After those testing failures, Eli Lilly succeeded in treating five mildly depressed people; fluoxetine had found its niche. Eli Lilly announced its findings in 1974 and launched Prozac in 1987 after receiving FDA approval.
The “wonder drug” replaced earlier medications, tricyclic antidepressant
s, which were less effective with serious side effects such as headache
s, blurred vision
and hypertension
. By 1999, Prozac was bringing in $2.5 billion per year, 25% of Eli Lilly’s revenue. The drug helped erase the stigma of depression, inspiring celebrities and public figures to flaunt rather than hide their sufferings.
Prozac, which is recognized by Fortune
magazine as a “Product of the Century,” has few side effects; it has been widely beneficial for those suffering from depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, panic disorder
s, eating disorder
s and premenstrual dysphoric disorder
s. However, some contend that Prozac has been doled out too liberally—it has even been prescribed for animals. Peer drugs, including Zoloft and Paxil, which are also SSRIs, have experienced similar successes.
Unfortunately for Eli Lilly, its patent on Prozac expired in 2001, causing massive revenue losses. The company hopes to bounce back with its newest drug, Cymbalta, a painkiller and an antidepressant combined.
website, Schmiegel's chemical work concentrated on supplements to bolster the health of animals (growth promotion), weight control agents, and antidepressants.
for their fluoxetine compound that revolutionized depression treatment. In addition, the same year, the pair received the U.S. Department of Commerce's Ronald H. Brown American Innovator award, honoring their great contribution to society.
near the Eli Lilly headquarters.
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
, which led to the invention of Prozac, a widely used antidepressant
Antidepressant
An antidepressant is a psychiatric medication used to alleviate mood disorders, such as major depression and dysthymia and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorder. According to Gelder, Mayou &*Geddes people with a depressive illness will experience a therapeutic effect to their mood;...
. Born in Chemitz, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he moved to the U.S. in 1951 to continue his education. After he finished his schooling, Schmiegel joined Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
as a senior organic chemist; he worked there from 1968 until his retirement in 1993. There, he collaborated with Bryan Molloy to create a new group of compounds. One of them, fluoxetine hydrochloride, became the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor are a class of compounds typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders. The efficacy of SSRIs is disputed...
(SSRI) used in the first antidepressant medication, Prozac. The drug, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988, has revolutionized treatment for depression. In 1999, Schmiegel and Molloy were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
and given the American Innovator Award. Throughout his career, Schmiegel garnered eighteen patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s related to the synthesis of compounds.
Early life and education
Klaus Schmiegel was born in Chemitz, Germany on June 28, 1939. After he immigrated to the United States in 1951, Schmiegel received a B.S. in chemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, an A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in organic chemistry from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, and a Ph.D in organic chemistry from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. His strong educational background secured him a prestigious position as a senior organic chemist at Eli Lilly, a prominent pharmaceutical company
Pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to deal in generic and/or brand medications and medical devices...
.
Primary accomplishment
At Eli LillyEli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
in the 1960s, scientists Klaus Schmiegel and Bryan Molloy, with the help of David Wong and Ray Fuller, searched for a compound to combat depression. Because depression and similar psychiatric disorders are associated with reduced serotonin
Serotonin
Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...
levels, they focused their approach on prohibiting serotonin reuptake. During a regular nerve signal transmission, a neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...
such as serotonin travels from a presynaptic neuron to a postsynaptic neuron; the neurotransmitter returns to the presynaptic neuron after fulfilling its function, the reuptake
Reuptake
Reuptake, or re-uptake, is the reabsorption of a neurotransmitter by a neurotransmitter transporter of a pre-synaptic neuron after it has performed its function of transmitting a neural impulse....
process. Therefore, slowing and diminishing serotonin reuptake boosts serotonin levels in the brain.
The scientists based their search on the template of the antihistamine
Antihistamine
An H1 antagonist is a histamine antagonist of the H1 receptor that serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions...
drug diphenhydramine hydrochloride, commonly known as Benadryl
Benadryl
Benadryl is a brand name allergy medicine marketed over-the-counter by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Prior to 2007, Benadryl was marketed by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare...
. After many failures, the research team synthesized a group of compounds called aryloxyphenylpropylamines. Upon testing, a member of the group, fluoxetine hydrochloride, proved to affect only the neurotransmitter serotonin. This compound became the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and the active ingredient in the vastly popular and effective drug Prozac.
Prozac, the "Wonder Drug"
Eli Lilly recognized the potential of its new drug, but the company first tested it as a high blood pressure medication, an anti-obesity drugAnti-obesity drug
Anti-obesity medication or weight loss drugs are all pharmacological agents that reduce or control weight. These drugs alter one of the fundamental processes of the human body, weight regulation, by either altering appetite, metabolism, or absorption of calories. It is common for them to be tried...
, and a remedy for severe depression. After those testing failures, Eli Lilly succeeded in treating five mildly depressed people; fluoxetine had found its niche. Eli Lilly announced its findings in 1974 and launched Prozac in 1987 after receiving FDA approval.
The “wonder drug” replaced earlier medications, tricyclic antidepressant
Tricyclic antidepressant
Tricyclic antidepressants are heterocyclic chemical compounds used primarily as antidepressants. The TCAs were first discovered in the early 1950s and were subsequently introduced later in the decade; they are named after their chemical structure, which contains three rings of atoms...
s, which were less effective with serious side effects such as headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
s, blurred vision
Blurred vision
-Causes:There are many causes of blurred vision:* Use of atropine or other anticholinergics* Presbyopia -- Difficulty focusing on objects that are close. The elderly are common victims....
and hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
. By 1999, Prozac was bringing in $2.5 billion per year, 25% of Eli Lilly’s revenue. The drug helped erase the stigma of depression, inspiring celebrities and public figures to flaunt rather than hide their sufferings.
Prozac, which is recognized by Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
magazine as a “Product of the Century,” has few side effects; it has been widely beneficial for those suffering from depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, panic disorder
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring severe panic attacks. It may also include significant behavioral change lasting at least a month and of ongoing worry about the implications or concern about having other attacks. The latter are called anticipatory attacks...
s, eating disorder
Eating disorder
Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual's physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific...
s and premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, afflicting 3% to 8% of women. It is a diagnosis associated primarily with the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle...
s. However, some contend that Prozac has been doled out too liberally—it has even been prescribed for animals. Peer drugs, including Zoloft and Paxil, which are also SSRIs, have experienced similar successes.
Unfortunately for Eli Lilly, its patent on Prozac expired in 2001, causing massive revenue losses. The company hopes to bounce back with its newest drug, Cymbalta, a painkiller and an antidepressant combined.
Other scientific work
While Schmiegel is listed as an inventor on all eighteen of his patents, his patents are assigned to his company, Eli Lilly. As detailed by the list of patents from the United States Patent and Trademark OfficeUnited States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.The USPTO is based in Alexandria, Virginia,...
website, Schmiegel's chemical work concentrated on supplements to bolster the health of animals (growth promotion), weight control agents, and antidepressants.
Awards and recognition
In 1999, both Schmiegel and Molloy were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of FameNational Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
for their fluoxetine compound that revolutionized depression treatment. In addition, the same year, the pair received the U.S. Department of Commerce's Ronald H. Brown American Innovator award, honoring their great contribution to society.
Later years
Schmiegel worked for Eli Lilly until his retirement in 1993. Though Schmiegel is retired, he still lives in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
near the Eli Lilly headquarters.
External links
- USPTO Patent Database
- MIT Inventor of the Week Archive for Klas Schmiegel—Prozac
- Anna Moore’s Eternal Sunshine from The Observer Online
- Arthur Whale and Prozac from GWU Law Website
Sources
- Four American Inventors to Be Honored for Revolutionary. FDCH Federal Department and Agency Documents. 12 Oct. 1999. LexisNexis. Academic. University of Pennsylvania Lib., Philadelphia, PA. 11 Nov. 2008. < http://www.lexisnexis.com/>.
- Lilly Scientists Honored for Invention of Prozac; Molloy, Schmiegel To Be Recognized by U.S. Department of Commerce. PR Newswire. October 13, 1999. Financial News. LexisNexis. Academic. University of Pennsylvania Lib. , Philadelphia, PA. 11 Nov. 2008.
- Nicolaou, K.C., and Tamsyn Montagnon. Molecules That Changed the World. Weinhem, Germany: Wiley-VCH, 2008.