Beginning in the 1930s, MSD research delivered an astonishing burst of innovations in vitamins, anti-infectives, and anti-inflammatories.

• Developed a means of mass-producing penicillin
• Helped discover and produce streptomycin, a breakthrough treatment for tuberculosis
• Pioneered synthesis of the anti-inflammatory drug cortisone involving nearly 40 chemical steps, a feat of remarkable complexity at the time

The 1950s were the beginning of the Modern Age of Vaccinology and after decades of creating drugs to treat diseases, MSD saw vaccines as a means of preventing them. Discoveries flowed from our laboratories.

• First available vaccine for measles (1963)
• First available vaccine for mumps (1968)
• First rubella vaccine in the US (1969)
• Continued vaccine development, including pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis A and hepatitis B

The 1980s and '90s ushered in a new style of drug discovery. By studying the biochemical pathways of disease, MSD scientists determined which steps in the process could be inhibited. They also identified the molecular structure needed in a drug to produce the precise effects desired.

• The first "statin" was introduced, laying the foundation for cholesterol-lowering treatment. Today, statins are among the most widely used medicines in the world and considered the standard in the management of cholesterol.
• The first genetically engineered human vaccine was developed to treat hepatitis B, an infectious disease of the liver caused by a virus.
• The first in a new class of medicines was introduced to treat osteoporosis and significantly reduce the risk of fractures in postmenopausal women.
• One of the first protease inhibitors was introduced for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus or HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. MSD published the first study identifying protease as a potential drug target and conducted the first clinical trial to confirm the benefits of combination therapy-which has helped change AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable, chronic disease.
• First in a new class of products to treat the nausea and vomiting related to cancer chemotherapy.

Today, MSD is working to build upon this tradition of innovation. Our scientists are targeting a new set of challenges and improving our innovation capabilities by harnessing new technologies.