Genzyme Corporation was founded in Boston, Mass
On Jun. 8, 1981, Genzyme was founded by Sheridan Snyder, George M. Whitesides and scientist Henry Blair, with…
Biotechnology | CDC | Diagnostics | Disease | Rare Disease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first cases of AIDS
On Jun. 5, 1981, Dr. Michael Gottlieb and colleagues of University of California at Los Angeles reported a…
University of California, San Francisco performed the first succesful fetal surgery
On May 10, 1981, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) performed the first successful fetal surgery, correcting a…
Artificial skin was created from living cells for the first time
On Apr. 23, 1981, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital announced they had for the first time successfully tested…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Disease | FDA | Medical Device | Medicine | Pharmaceutical | Therapeutics
New regulations to protect people participating in medical research issued
On Jan. 27, 1981, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and…
Biotechnology | CDC | Diagnostics | Influenza | Vaccine
CDC began collecting reports of influenza outbreaks from state and territorial epidemiologists
In 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began collecting reports of influenza outbreaks from…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | NIH | Oncology
The La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation (Burnham Institute) received its NCI-designation
In 1981, the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation, the Cancer Center received its National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designation. The…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Disease | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics
John Wayne Cancer Institute was founded
In 1981, John Wayne Cancer Institute (formerly known as the John Wayne Cancer Clinic) was founded to promote…
Hybritech issued its Initial Public Offering
In 1981, Hybritech issued its Initial Public Offering (IPO) and raised $12 million, and $33 million in a…
CDC | Diagnostics | HIV | Infectious Disease | Therapeutics
The CDC established the International Health Program Office
In 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the International Health Program Office, now…
The University of Hawaii Cancer Center was founded
In 1981, The University of Hawaii Cancer Center (UH Cancer Center) was founded. The UH Cancer Center’s mission…
Dr. Morris Reichlin became head the OMRF Arthritis and Immunology Program
In 1981, Dr. Morris Reichlin joined the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) to head the Arthritis and Immunology…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | NIH | Oncology | U.S. Congress
The Health Programs Extension Act of 1980 was signed into law, extending National Cancer Institute authorization for 3 years
On Dec. 17, 1980, the Health Programs Extension Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-538), introduced by Sen. Edward Kennedy,…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Disease | NIH | Therapeutics
The NIH Clinical Center was designated the “Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health”
On Dec. 12, 1980, the U.S. Senate passed Joint Resolution 213 which designated the National Institutes of Health’s…
Stanford Medicine researchers first created a human hybridoma cell line
On Nov. 7, 1980, Stanford University researchers Henry Kaplan and Lennart Olsson announced they had created cells to…
Genentech made history on Wall Street with the first biotechnology public offering
On Oct. 14, 1980, the first biotechnology public offering — Genentech makes history on Wall Street when just…
Rabies human diploid-cell vaccine (Imovax Rabies by Merieux and Wyvac by Wyeth) were licensed
On Jun. 9, 1980, the rabies human diploid-cell vaccine (Imovax Rabies by Merieux, now Sanofi, and Wyvac by…
The World Heath Organization announced that “smallpox has been eradicated from the world”
On May 8, 1980, members of the World Heath Organization (WHO) in Geneva announced that “smallpox had been…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Measles | Vaccine | WHO
The World Health Assembly certified the world free of naturally-occurring smallpox
On May 8, 1980, the World Health Assembly certified the world free of naturally-occurring smallpox. Smallpox is an…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Disease | Neurology | NIH | Therapeutics
The Alzheimer’s Association was established
On Apr. 10, 1980, the Alzheimer’s Association was established. In 1979, Jerome H. Stone and representatives from several…
The Nobel Laureate in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Frederick Sanger, Walter Gilbert and to Paul Berg for gene cloning
In 1980, the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Frederick Sanger and Walter Gilbert for “for…
Autism appeared for the first time as a diagnosis in the third edition of the DSM III Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
In 1980, autism appeared for the first time as a diagnosis in the third edition of the DSM…
The CDC organized a task force to study toxic shock syndrome
In May 1980, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) organized a task force to study…
Diagnostics | Disease | Pharmaceutical | Therapeutics | USDA | Veterinary
Schering-Plough Animal Health introduced Intra-Trac vaccines for kennel cough in dogs
In 1980, Schering-Plough Animal Health introduced Intra-Trac vaccines for kennel cough in dogs. For years, Iowa State University…
The Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center opened
In 1980, the $2 million Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center (GROC) opened as a partnership between Wayne State University’s…
The Mary Brigh Building opened on the Mayo Clinic campus
In 1980, The Mary Brigh Building, one of the Mayo’s largest expansion projects, opened. The addition added a…
Genetic Systems was founded
In 1980, Genetic Systems was founded in Seattle as a monoclonal antibody-based diagnostic company by Robert Nowinski of…
The first use of artificial blood in a patient takes place at the University of Minnesota Hospital
On Nov. 20, 1979, Dr. Robert Anderson from the University Hospital injected Fluosol, a blood substitute developed in…
The last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S.
On Jul. 27, 1979, the last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S. among unvaccinated…
first Magnetic resonance imaging of human
On Jul. 3, 1977, Dr. Raymond Damadian achieved the first human nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) image — a cross-section…