Jewish Invention Myths: Aciclovir
Moving back to medicine again with jewish invention myths and this time we are dealing with the claim that jews invented the anti-viral medication Aciclovir which is widely used in the treatment of herpes, shingles as well as chickenpox.
Typically jews claim to have to invented it with ‘MNews’ asserting that:
‘Gertrude Elion – Acyclovir
She invented the history-making antiviral drug acyclovir, the most effective treatment for infections caused by the herpes virus.’ (1)
Acyclovir was originally discovered and synthesized from deep sea sponges in the early 1970s (2) but was actually discovered by Howard Schaeffer in 1971 who as far as I can work out is not jewish. (3)
Indeed, Schaeffer not Elion is listed as the discoverer on the U.S. patent for Acyclovir from 1975 which was filed by Burroughs Wellcome. (4)
But what of Gertude Elion who was indeed jewish?
Well, this is where jews don’t check their facts because while Elion was indeed part of the team that eventually refined Acyclovir as a viable drug for medical use in 1977 at Burroughs Wellcome. She did so as Schaeffer’s subordinate at Burroughs Wellcome and also helped Schaeffer do so and did not do it herself nor did she discover or invent Acyclovir. (5)
Indeed, biographical information about Elion clearly states that she ‘helped’ create Acyclovir as a commercial drug rather than discovered or first synthesized it. (6)
So, no Gertrude Elion didn’t invent Aciclovir: Howard Schaeffer did.
References
(1) https://mnews.world/en/news/the-great-jews-and-their-inventions
(2) https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/13394
(3) Howard Schaeffer, S. Gurwara, Robert Vince, S. Bittner, 1971, ‘Novel Substrate of Adenosine Deaminsac’, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 14, No. 4, p. 367
(4) https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/024435728/publication/US4146715A?q=pn%3DUS4146715
(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC431864/
(6) Elga Ruth Wasserman, 2000, ‘The Door in the Dream: Conversations with Eminent Women in Science’, 1st Edition, Joseph Henry Press: Washington D.C., p. 47