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History of Antibiotics Timeline

(1928 - Present)

The history of antibiotics traces the scientific journey from ancient observations of mold's healing properties to the revolutionary discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, followed by the golden age of antibiotic development, mass production during World War II, and ongoing efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Early Observations

Sir William Roberts notes Penicillium glaucum cultures resist bacteria

1874

In 1874, physician Sir William Roberts noted that cultures of the mould Penicillium glaucum used in making some types of blue cheese did not display bacterial contamination, an early observation of antibiosis.

Image source: Antibiotic

Sir William Roberts notes Penicillium glaucum cultures resist bacteria

Pasteur and Koch describe antibiosis in bacteria

1877

Antibiosis was first described in 1877 in bacteria when Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch observed that an airborne bacillus could inhibit the growth of Bacillus anthracis.

Vincenzo Tiberio publishes on antibacterial mold extracts

1895

In 1895, Vincenzo Tiberio, an Italian physician, published a paper on the antibacterial power of some extracts of mold, contributing to early scientific study of antimicrobial substances.

Image source: Vincenzo Tiberio

Vincenzo Tiberio publishes on antibacterial mold extracts

Ernest Duchesne submits dissertation on mold-microbe antagonism

1897

In 1897, doctoral student Ernest Duchesne submitted a dissertation on antagonism between moulds and microbes, the first known scholarly work to consider the therapeutic capabilities of moulds resulting from their anti-microbial activity.

Image source: Ernest Duchesne

Ernest Duchesne submits dissertation on mold-microbe antagonism

Treatments for infections based on folklore

1900

Before the early 20th century, treatments for infections were based primarily on medicinal folklore, with remedies passed down through tradition rather than scientific understanding of microbial causes of disease.

Synthetic Antibacterials

Ehrlich and Bertheim discover salvarsan

1907

After screening hundreds of dyes against various organisms, Paul Ehrlich discovered a medicinally useful drug, the first synthetic antibacterial organoarsenic compound salvarsan. This heralded the era of antibacterial treatment begun with arsenic-derived synthetic antibiotics by Alfred Bertheim and Ehrlich.

Image source: Arsphenamine

Ehrlich and Bertheim discover salvarsan

Ehrlich receives Nobel Prize for immunology

1908

In 1908, Ehrlich received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to immunology, recognizing his pioneering work that laid foundations for chemotherapy and antibacterial drug development.

Image source: Paul Ehrlich

Ehrlich receives Nobel Prize for immunology

Ehrlich and Hata announce drug '606' at Wiesbaden

1910

In 1910, Ehrlich and Hata announced their discovery, which they called drug '606', at the Congress for Internal Medicine at Wiesbaden, introducing a targeted treatment for syphilis.

Hoechst markets Salvarsan

Dec 1910

The Hoechst company began to market the compound toward the end of 1910 under the name Salvarsan, now known as arsphenamine. The drug was used to treat syphilis in the first half of the 20th century.

Hata nominated for Nobel Prizes

1911 - 1913

Hata was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911 and for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1912 and 1913, reflecting recognition of his role in developing Salvarsan.

Image source: Sahachiro Hata

Hata nominated for Nobel Prizes

Domagk's team develops Prontosil

1932 - 1933

The first sulfonamide and the first systemically active antibacterial drug, Prontosil, was developed by a research team led by Gerhard Domagk at the Bayer Laboratories of the IG Farben conglomerate in Germany, for which Domagk received the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Image source: Prontosil

Domagk's team develops Prontosil

Penicillin Era

Fleming discovers penicillin

1928

Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) discovered modern-day penicillin in 1928, postulating that the mould must secrete an antibacterial substance, which he named penicillin. Its widespread use proved significantly beneficial during wartime.

Image source: Alexander Fleming

Fleming discovers penicillin

Florey and Chain begin penicillin production efforts

1939

Since the first pioneering efforts of Howard Florey and Chain in 1939, the importance of antibiotics, including antibacterials, to medicine has led to intense research into producing antibacterials at large scales.

Image source: Howard Florey

Florey and Chain begin penicillin production efforts

Abraham proposes chemical structure of penicillin

1942

The chemical structure of penicillin was first proposed by Abraham in 1942 and then later confirmed by Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin in 1945 using X-ray crystallography.

Image source: Edward Abraham

Abraham proposes chemical structure of penicillin

Chain, Florey, and Abraham purify penicillin G

1942

Ernst Chain, Howard Florey, and Edward Abraham succeeded in purifying the first penicillin, penicillin G, in 1942, but it did not become widely available outside the Allied military before 1945.

Image source: Penicillin

Chain, Florey, and Abraham purify penicillin G

Nobel Prize awarded for penicillin development

1945

For their successful development of penicillin, which Fleming had accidentally discovered but could not develop himself as a therapeutic drug, Chain and Florey shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Fleming.

Golden Age of Antibiotics

New antibiotic classes launched rapidly

1935 - 1968

During the mid-20th century, the number of new antibiotic substances introduced for medical use increased significantly. From 1935 to 1968, 12 new classes were launched, marking the golden age of antibiotic discovery.

Dubos discovers tyrothricin

1939

In 1939, coinciding with the start of World War II, Dubos reported the discovery of the first naturally derived antibiotic, tyrothricin, a compound of 20% gramicidin and 80% tyrocidine, from Bacillus brevis.

Image source: Tyrothricin

Dubos discovers tyrothricin

Waksman coins term 'antibiotic'

1942

The term antibiotic was first used in 1942 by Selman Waksman and his collaborators in journal articles to describe any substance produced by a microorganism that is antagonistic to the growth of other microorganisms in high dilution.

Image source: Selman Waksman

Waksman coins term 'antibiotic'

Waksman renames drugs as antibiotics

1947

These drugs were later renamed antibiotics by Selman Waksman, an American microbiologist, in 1947, establishing the modern terminology for this class of medicines.

51 new antibiotic entities in clinical trials

May 2017

According to the WHO, fifty one new therapeutic entities - antibiotics (including combinations), are in phase 1–3 clinical trials as of May 2017, offering hope for replenishing the antibiotic pipeline.

Resistance and Regulation

Luria–Delbrück experiment demonstrates resistance selection

1943

Antibacterial selection for strains having previously acquired antibacterial-resistance genes was demonstrated in 1943 by the Luria–Delbrück experiment, providing key insight into how bacterial resistance arises.

Image source: Luria–Delbrück experiment

Luria–Delbrück experiment demonstrates resistance selection

Decline in new antibiotic classes

1969 - 2003

However, the number of new classes dropped markedly, with only two new classes introduced between 1969 and 2003, raising concerns about the antibiotic development pipeline.

UK restricts antibiotic use following Swann report

1970

The emergence of antibiotic resistance prompted restrictions on antibiotic use in the UK in 1970, following the Swann report of 1969, addressing growing concerns over resistant bacterial strains.

Image source: Ben Swann

UK restricts antibiotic use following Swann report

FDA raises concerns about livestock antibiotics

1977

In the United States, the question of emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains due to use of antibiotics in livestock was raised by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1977.

Image source: Antibiotic use in livestock

FDA raises concerns about livestock antibiotics

France launches 'Antibiotics are not automatic' campaign

2002

In France, an 'Antibiotics are not automatic' government campaign started in 2002 and led to a marked reduction of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, especially in children.

Image source: Antimicrobial resistance

France launches 'Antibiotics are not automatic' campaign

EU bans antibiotics as growth promoters

2003

The European Union banned the use of antibiotics as growth-promotional agents since 2003, a major regulatory step against nontherapeutic antibiotic use in food animals.

US bills proposed to phase out nontherapeutic antibiotic use

2007

Bills aimed at phasing out nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in US food animals were proposed, but have not passed, reflecting ongoing legislative efforts in the United States.

Image source: Antibiotic

US bills proposed to phase out nontherapeutic antibiotic use

Court orders FDA to revoke livestock antibiotic approvals

Mar 2012

In March 2012, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, ruling in an action brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council and others, ordered the FDA to revoke approvals for the use of antibiotics in livestock, which violated FDA regulations.

Image source: Natural Resources Defense Council

Court orders FDA to revoke livestock antibiotic approvals

WHO report analyzes global antibiotic consumption

2018

The WHO report on surveillance of antibiotic consumption published in 2018 analysed 2015 data from 65 countries, providing a comprehensive picture of worldwide antibiotic use patterns.

Image source: World Health Organization

WHO report analyzes global antibiotic consumption

AMR causes 1.27 million deaths globally

2019

Global deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) numbered 1.27 million in 2019, underscoring the severe public health threat posed by resistant bacteria.

Key Facts

  1. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 when he observed that Penicillium mold inhibited bacterial growth in his laboratory at St. Mary's Hospital in London.
  2. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain developed penicillin into a usable drug in the early 1940s, enabling mass production that saved countless lives during World War II.
  3. The 'golden age' of antibiotics (1940s-1960s) saw the discovery of major drug classes including streptomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and cephalosporins.
  4. Selman Waksman coined the term 'antibiotic' in 1941 and discovered streptomycin in 1943, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis.
  5. Antibiotic resistance emerged soon after widespread use began, with penicillin-resistant bacteria appearing by the 1940s, making antimicrobial stewardship a critical global health priority today.

Source

This History of Antibiotics timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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