The History of Cortisone Discovery and Development

Philip Hench, Edward Kendall, and Tadeus Reichstein received the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology in 1950 for their investigations of the hormones of the adrenal cortex. Hench and Kendall took compound E from the laboratory to the clinic to the Nobel Prize in a span of 2 years. This article examines the paths that led to the day when the first rheumatoid arthritis patient received cortisone, and from there to the 1950 Nobel Prize ceremony. The aftermath of this achievement is also discussed. Although there have been significant advances in corticosteroid preparations and use since 1950, the side effects remain daunting.