Antimetabolites and Their Revolution in Pharmacology

Abstract

Until very recently, the course of progress in the discovery of new drugs has depended on chance. The history of pharmacology shows that the first member of a series of useful agents has been picked up accidentally. The usual course of events cannot be illustrated better than by examination of the circumstances which led to the introduction of reserpine and other Rauwolfia alkaloids and of chlorpromazine. The discovery of these new drugs resulted from the chance observations made with extracts of plants or with synthetic organic chemicals. In neither case was the discovery the result of a preconceived search for pharmacological agents with the properties which are the basis of the current use of these drugs. The current uses are based instead on chance, greatly aided of course by keen observation on the part of the discoverers.