Prompt Cast
The Sulfanilamide Disaster: A Deadly Public Health Crisis in America
TLDR In 1937, a pharmaceutical company marketed a liquid form of the antibiotic sulfonylamide that contained a deadly poison, resulting in numerous deaths. The FDA faced challenges in tracking down the medicine and preventing further harm, but ultimately seized the antibiotic and implemented new regulations to prevent future disasters.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The hosts discuss their upcoming episode on the sulfanilamide disaster, one of the worst public health disasters in American history.
02:18
In 1937, a pharmaceutical company created a liquid form of the antibiotic sulfonylamide using a deadly poison called diethylene glycol, and marketed it as elixir sulfonylamide.
04:34
The Massing Hill Company created a liquid form of the antibiotic sulfonylamide using a deadly poison called diethylene glycol, and started selling it as medicine without conducting any tests, resulting in people dying from consuming it.
07:02
The AMA discovered that people were dying from taking the SE Massingill sulfonylamide and requested the ingredient list from Massingill, leading them to discover that the medicine contained diethylene glycol, which was the cause of the deaths.
09:17
The FDA faced challenges in trying to track down the traveling salesmen for Massingill who were distributing the deadly sulfonylamide, as they did not have easy means of communication and were constantly on the move, making it difficult to retrieve the medicine and prevent further harm.
11:26
The FDA was able to seize the antibiotic on the technicality that it was mislabeled as an elixir, and they were able to retrieve most of the produced medicine, preventing further deaths, although 105 people still died and thousands more could have died if the FDA hadn't taken action.
13:43
The public outcry over the sulfanilamide disaster led to the passing of legislation that updated the 1906 act and gave the FDA the power to enforce regulations on medicines.
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Society & Culture
