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Vannevar Bush petitions pharmaceutical firms to create artificial penicillin.

1945

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Bush is the head of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). Penicillin is being used more often for the treatment of infections, such as meningitis and syphilis, during this time period, but it takes a long time to naturally create. Bush aims to create an artificial penicillin. He crafts a cross-sector research strategy, bringing together private pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. federal government, along with the British government.

When Bush begins his initiative, some pharmaceutical firms have already been attempting to create a synthetic form of penicillin, and they protest against what they perceive as a hoarding of data and material. The result of this is a cross-company advisory committee process that includes competing drug companies and other key stakeholders. This process is still the primary process for drug development that is in place today, including in the creation of the COVID vaccine.