History
Prozac was the first product in a major new class of drugs for depression called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Fluoxetine was discovered at Eli Lilly and Company in 1970 by Ray Fuller (who won the Pharmaceutical Discoverer's Award), Bryan Molloy, David Wong and Robert Rathburn. It was first developed for high blood pressure, when that did not work out they tested it for obesity but once agian that did not pan out. They then tested it on psychotic patients and those hospitalised with depression and found it worked. Prozac was first introduced to the US market in January 1988. It only took two years for Prozac to become the most prescribed antidepressant and has kept its status to the present day. It is given to 54 million people world wide. It is prescribed for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, eating disorders and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Fluoxetine is also known as Sarafem, Lovan and Zactin.