maceutical industries contributed millions of dol-
lars to politicians.
New Drugs Several types of medications were in-
troduced and approved by the Food and Drug Ad-
ministration (FDA) in the 1990’s, including some so-
called blockbuster drugs, those that post earnings of
more than $1 billion in a year. Some of these drugs
were Lipitor (approved in 1996), a drug for lowering
cholesterol, which became the top-selling medica-
tion of all time; Viagra (1998), a drug originally de-
signed to increase circulation and used to treat erec-
tile dysfunction; and Effexor (1993), a drug that
treats anxiety and depression and is used for pain
management, though this last use is off-label (not
an approved treatment according to the FDA). In
addition, many drugs were developed for rheuma-
toid arthritis, asthma, depression, and other medi-
cal problems.
Drugs Withdrawn Several drugs were withdrawn
during the 1990’s, most notably Fen-phen, a drug
manufactured by Wyeth. Designed to be a weight-
loss aid, Fen-phen was linked by the Mayo Clinic to
heart disease in several women. The FDA requested
Fen-phen’s withdrawal in 1997. Most of the drugs
withdrawn from the market during the 1990’s were
not widely used. Some drugs approved during the
1990’s were withdrawn at a later date. Vioxx, a drug
used to treat osteoarthritis, was approved in 1999 but
withdrawn from the market in 2004, after reports of
increased risk of heart disease.
Research Research in the 1990’s focused on sev-
eral primary avenues. Medication designed for
heart disease was responsible for a large amount of
research, as was medication to treat anxiety and de-
pression. Research also focused on antiretrovirals to
halt the duplication of the human immunodefi-
ciency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS); highly active antiretroviral ther-
apy (HAART) was developed in 1996, allowing many
HIV/AIDS patients to have their symptoms stabi-
lized.
Drug research also focused on antidiabetic drugs,
as diabetes rates continued to increase alongside
obesity rates. As diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease in-
creased, so did research for drug therapy to slow and
stop the onset of the disease, as well as to treat pa-
tients already in advanced stages.
As diagnoses of attention-deficit disorder (ADD)
and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
increased, so did prescriptions for drugs to treat the
conditions; most drugs used to treat ADD/ADHD
are amphetamines, such as methylphenidate hydro-
chloride, commonly known by its brand name
Ritalin. Adderall was introduced in 1996 as a mix-
ture of amphetamines and dextroamphetamines to
treat ADD/ADHD.Drug Advertising and Business Growth Direct-to-
consumer (DTC) advertising of pharmaceuticals
was approved in 1997 by the FDA. Prescription drug
advertising was placed under the direct surveillance
of the FDA, rather than the Federal Trade Commis-
sion, which oversees over-the-counter medication
advertising. This permission for DTC advertising
came under much criticism from both doctors and
politicians, as some saw this advertising as a method
to sell medications to people who did not need
them. Critics have also called for an end to drug mar-
keting to physicians, claiming that physicians may
become biased in prescribing drugs.
Toward the end of the 1990’s, drug lobbying in
Washington reached new levels as the pharmaceuti-
cal industry outspent all other industries in lobby-
ing; at the same time, drug companies donated large
amounts of money to politicians, primarily Republi-
cans, though Democrats also received donations.
With the development of blockbuster drugs,
drug advertising, and increased political contribu-
tions, the moniker of “Big Pharma” was introduced
to refer to pharmaceutical companies that posted
yearly profits in excess of $3 billion. Many of the
most well-known companies, like Johnson & John-
son, Merck, AstroZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer,
Eli Lilly, and Bristol-Myers Squibb are included un-
der the term.Impact During the 1990’s, the pharmaceutical in-
dustry experienced a period of rapid growth and ex-
pansion; this was assisted by looser regulations for
advertising of drugs directly to the consumers as well
as the development of blockbuster drugs. With the
introduction of numerous medications for a variety
of illnesses and disorders, pharmaceuticals became
a multibillion-dollar industry vital not only to the
economy but also to the health of patients.Further Reading
Anderson, Stuart, ed.Making Medicine: A Brief Histor y
of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals. Grayslake, Ill.:666 Pharmaceutical industry The Nineties in America