Just think, we may have never gotten the “Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic!” jingle stuck in our heads if it wasn’t for a creepy, bottom-dwelling fish.
Dr. Joel Habener of Massachusetts General Hospital unexpectedly discovered GLP-1 in the 1980s while analyzing the pancreatic genes in anglerfish.
Habener’s team identified the precursor to GLP-1, a hormone that regulates blood sugar by boosting insulin and suppressing glucagon after meals, laying the groundwork for the drugs we now know as Ozempic, Zepbound and Trulicity.
GLP-1s are proving useful beyond their role in taming diabetes and triggering weight loss. Studies indicate benefits to everything from chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea to alcohol addiction because of their ability to reduce inflammation and improve organ health independent of weight loss.
GLP-1 isn’t the only serendipitous breakthrough. Many groundbreaking drugs were discovered by accident or during research for completely different uses — the antibiotic penicillin was found via mold-contaminated bacteria, while chlorpromazine was developed to prevent surgical shock and later repurposed as an antipsychotic for schizophrenia.
Research from 2012 reported that the discovery of 6% of FDA-approved drugs involved serendipity — here’s a look at six of them.
Viagra
Pfizer developed the little blue pill (scientific name: sildenafil) in the late 1980s to address chest pain and high blood pressure.
It wasn’t found to be effective for angina pectoris, but it had one very eye-popping side effect: enhanced erections.
The FDA approved Viagra for erectile dysfunction in 1998. The drug has also been shown to improve blood flow to the lungs and lower blood pressure.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil has worn many hats. It was developed in the 1950s to treat peptic ulcers but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Then it was branded as the antihypertensive Loniten and approved by the FDA in 1979 to treat severe high blood pressure.
Scientists noticed that people who took the drug experienced unexpected hair growth on their heads and bodies. Minoxidil was rebranded as topical Rogaine in the 1980s.
Botox
Before it became a staple in Hollywood skincare regimens, Botox was initially approved by the FDA in 1989 for crossed eyes, uncontrollable eyelid twitching and facial nerve disorders.
OnabotulinumtoxinA was later found to help reduce cosmetic wrinkles while showing potential for the treatment of chronic migraines, severe underarm sweating and overactive bladders.
AZT
Zidovudine was developed as a chemotherapy drug in the 1960s and promptly shelved when it failed to combat tumor growth in mice.
It reemerged in the 1980s as AZT, the first FDA-approved antiretroviral drug for HIV/AIDS treatment.
Thalidomide
Thalidomide has cycled through a few redesigns. A German pharmaceutical company synthesized it in the 1950s for insomnia and morning sickness in pregnant women.
Then it was linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies and withdrawn from the market.
It has since emerged as a remedy for leprosy complications, and now it’s used for treating the rare blood cancer multiple myeloma and lupus.
Metformin
You may know metformin as a diabetes drug. It actually used to be an antimalarial agent and a treatment for influenza.
Now it’s being studied for its potential anti-aging properties.
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