Serendipity and Drugs: An Historical Perspective

Abstract

The scientific process of discovery is not always purely inductive. A large role is assigned to the deductive leap (insight). Sometimes, particularly often in the case of drug discoveries, this insight is very closely related to simple chance. We revere drugs as products of prolonged careful research, and we may assume safety levels for drugs because we assume this long process of development. In fact, though, serendipity and chance are often at the base of drug discoveries. Moreover, rationality in the application of drug discoveries to drug use is sometimes conspicuous by its absence. A variety of historical examples highlight the role of serendipity and allied processes in the discovery and use of drugs.