-
-
Insulin was discovered in 1921 by Frederick Banting, a Canadian doctor who was studying diabetes and the pancreas.
-
A 14-year-old boy from Canada became the first human patient to receive insulin. However, the insulin failed to work.
-
The insulin used by Banting was purified and injected into the 14-year-old boy. His glucose levels dropped.
-
Eli Lilly Corporation begins to produce insulin to treat diabetics in most western countries.
-
Insulin is crystallized by scientist JJ Abel.
-
The composition of insulin was first discovered in 1955 by scientist Fredrick Sanger.
-
In 1957, immunoassay is discovered by Solomon Berson and Rosalind Yalow. The immunoassay is able to test levels of insulin in the urine, using small concentrations of insulin.
-
In 1978, a biotechnology company called Gentech produced the first synthetic insulin, which could be distributed in large quantities.
-
After insulin was able to be synthetically produced, it became widely available to people throughout the country.
-
Today, insulin is used for almost all people with diabetes. Most use the type that was created in 1978.
