Discovering Cocaine: An Historical Perspective on Drug Development and Regulation *

Abstract

Although recent historical work has begun to illuminate the origins of modern drug development, much remains to be investigated. Cocaine, introduced to the United States through the pioneering work of Dr. Carl Koller in 1884, appeared at the threshold of a more recognizably modern system of drug development. Cocaine was among the first drug discoveries to undergo extensive laboratory investigation. Cocaine also benefitted from the emerging capacity of the pharmaceutical industry to conduct research, mass produce, and aggressively promote new remedies. Introduced in a largely unregulated environment, the use and abuse of cocaine encouraged the creation of more formal control of the drug market. The landmarks of modern drug regulation, including the establishment of the American Medical Association's Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry as well as the passage of the federal Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 can partly be attributed to the desire to avoid a repetition of the cocaine experience.