In September 1978 scientists at the young company Genentech in San Francisco, working with the City of Hope hospital, announced that they had made human insulin in genetically engineered Escherichia coli, by inserting synthetic genes for the two chains of the hormone into the bacteria. Before this, insulin for diabetics was extracted from the pancreas of pigs and cattle, in limited supply and sometimes causing allergic reactions. Licensed to Eli Lilly, Humulin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in October 1982, the first genetically engineered drug to be sold. It showed that biotechnology could make medicines, and today millions of patients use recombinant insulin.
Before and after
- 25 July 1978The first IVF baby is born
- 1 August 1978Establishment of Berchtesgaden National Park
- 6 August 1978Death of Paul VI
- 23 August 1978Birth of Kobe Bryant
- September 1978Human insulin is made in bacteria
- 17 September 1978Camp David Accords
- 28 September 1978Death of John Paul I
- 1 October 1978Founding of Tuvalu
- from 9 October 1978 to 3 June 1979Uganda–Tanzania War
More in Science & technology
- 1949Discovery of berkelium
- 1955Discovery of mendelevium
- 14 February 1961Discovery of lawrencium
- 9 November 1994Discovery of darmstadtium
- 8 December 1994Discovery of roentgenium
- 1996Discovery of copernicium
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.