• frog@feddit.uk
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    2 days ago

    Pfizer originally discovered the medication in 1989 while looking for a treatment for angina.

    Angina, in full angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.

    Source: wikipedia

    • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      There are a lot of popular inventions that were never meant to be. Cocaine used to be used as a local anesthesia. Rogaine was originally created in the 1950s to treat ulcers. Now it’s used for high blood pressure and hair loss.

      I have no doubt there are many, many more.

      ~Slinkies, silly putty, super glue…~

      • frog@feddit.uk
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        2 days ago

        Out of everything you mentioned, the only one I know is the cocaine one. Thank you for the info.

        Makes wish there was a community for accidental successes.

    • TheFogan@programming.dev
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      2 days ago

      I think the point is still the same though, how it’s discovered isn’t really directly related. Point is if it only worked for angia pectoris, would they have used the same amount of researchers to continue it’s development, would competing pharmacies have put as much into their own alternatives etc…