Pharmaceutical engineering

Pharmaceutical engineering is a field of engineering dedicated to the discovery, formulation, and production of medications, along with the analytical and quality control steps involved. It also covers the design, construction, and improvement of drug manufacturing facilities. This discipline draws on chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, and industrial engineering.

History

People have used natural substances like plants as medicine for a very long time. However, it was only in the late 1800s, when advances in chemical companies merged with medical research, that scientists began to deliberately create and engineer new drugs, ways to deliver them, and methods for large-scale production.

Synthesizing new medications

One early example of a man-made, engineered drug came from Paul Erlich. He discovered that Atoxyl, an arsenic compound dangerous to humans, was very effective at killing the bacteria that causes syphilis.

He thought that by changing Atoxyl’s structure, he could find a "magic bullet" that would kill the bacteria without harming people. He created many compounds based on Atoxyl’s chemical structure and eventually found one that worked best against syphilis while being least harmful to humans. This drug, called Salvarsan, was widely used to treat syphilis within a few years.

Beginning of mass production

In 1928, Alexander Fleming found a mold, Penicillium chrysogenum, that stopped many types of bacteria from growing. Scientists saw its potential to treat bacterial infections in humans. During World War II, the United Kingdom and the United States collaborated to find a way to mass-produce penicillin, a substance from this mold, which could save many injured soldiers by treating infections.

While penicillin could be isolated in a lab, there was no way to produce enough for all who needed it. Scientists at major chemical companies, including Pfizer, developed a deep-fermentation process that yielded large amounts of penicillin. In 1944, Pfizer opened the first penicillin factory, and its products were sent overseas to support the war.

Controlled drug release

Oral tablets have been used since around 1500 B.C., but for a long time they only offered immediate release, meaning the entire dose was released at once. In the 1950s, sustained release technology was created. Using methods like osmosis and diffusion, pills were designed to release medication over 12 to 24 hours.