Introduction to Prozac | Discovery of Prozac | Structure and How it Works | How Prozac Affected History | How History Affected Prozac
The accidental discovery of the anti-depressant effect of impramine led to the research done at the Eli Lilly Company in 1970 that eventually resulted in the birth of Prozac. The molecule that later turned into Prozac was originally a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. In the attempt to create a drug that would only affect the serotonin reuptake, fluoxetine was discovered. It was important to create a drug that only blocked the reuptake of serotonin because there are negative side effect associated with the inhibition of the reuptake of norepinephrine. Prozac is the most potent known form of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Prozac was first introduced for clinical use in 1986 and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1987.
