Statins, one of history’s most commonly prescribed and bestselling drugs, have shaped Western society’s approach to treating heart disease.
Akira Endo, a Japanese-born biochemist, discovered statins from mold. His research garnered the attention of pharmaceutical companies, aiming to find a compound that could effectively lower cholesterol—the assumed cause of heart disease. Merck ultimately obtained samples of the drug and was “astonished at the potency,” Mr. Endo said in his review, spurring the pharmaceutical company to develop its own statin.
