Recombinant human insulin
Insulina humana recombinante
- Date
- 1978-1982 · confidence high
- Place
- Genentech, South San Francisco, and City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States
- Credited to
- Genentech (Herbert Boyer, Robert Swanson, David Goeddel) with City of Hope (Arthur Riggs, Keiichi Itakura); marketed by Eli Lilly (Humulin, 1982)
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
First drug produced by bacteria with an inserted human gene, approved in 1982. It demonstrated that genetic engineering could manufacture medicines.
What it led to
- The biopharmaceutical industry and biological medicines
- Independence from animal insulin supplies
- Biotechnology venture capital
Built on
Made possible
- Recombinant erythropoietin (Epogen)1983-1989
- Recombinant human growth hormone1979-1985
- Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Cuba (CIGB)1986
- CHO cells, a biopharmaceutical platform (Activase, 1987)1957-1987
- GLP-1 agonists for diabetes and obesity (semaglutide, tirzepatide)2017-2021
- recombinant growth hormone
- recombinant hepatitis B vaccine