Quadrivalent groups A, C, Y, and W-135 (Menomune A/C/Y/W-135 by Connaught) meningococcal vaccine was licensed
On Nov. 23, 1981, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensed Quadrivalent groups A, C, Y, and W-135…
Biotechnology | Disease | HIV | Therapeutics
NCI sponsored a conference on Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections
On Jun. 15, 1981, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored a conference in Bethesda, MD, on Kaposi’s Sarcoma…
ZymoGenetics was incorporated
On Jun. 22, 1981, ZymoGenetics was founded by University of Washington professors Earl Davie and Benjamin Hall, and…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | HIV | Life Science News | NIH | Therapeutics
The first AIDS patient seen at the NIH was admitted
On Jun. 16, 1981, Dr. Thomas Waldmann helped treat the first patient with AIDS. In 2016, the Food…
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…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first cases of AIDS
On Jun. 5, 1981, Pneumocystis Pneumonia, Los Angeles, by Dr. Michael Gottlieb and colleagues of University of California…
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…
Gene synthesizing machines were developed
In May 1981, Applied Biosystems was founded by Hewlett Packard engineers Sam Eletr, their first CEO, and Andre…
Stanford Medicine performed first successful human combined heart/lung transplant in the world
On Mar. 9, 1981, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Bruce Reitz from Stanford Medicine performed the first successful human combined…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Disease | FDA | Life Science News | 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…
William Panje invented the neolarynx restoring speech to cancer patients who have had their larynxes removed
In 1981, University of Iowa researcher William Panje introduced the neolarynx, or “voice button,” restoring speech to cancer…
Simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome (simian AIDS) was identified in macaques in two of NIH’s Regional Primate Centers
In 1981, Simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome (simian AIDS) was identified in macaques in two of National Institutes…
First human viral vaccine to prevent cancer (hepatitis B vaccine for liver cancer) was introduced
In 1981, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine for human use….
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Washington injected purified DNA into a single-cell mouse embryo
In 1981, Frank Ruddle from Yale University, Frank Costantini and Elizabeth Lacy from Oxford, and Ralph L. Brinster…
Biotechnology | CDC | Diagnostics | Influenza | Life Science News | 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…
The City of Hope Cancer Center received NCI-designation
In 1981, the National Cancer Institute (NC) awarded The City of Hope Cancer Center NCI-designation. City of Hope’s…
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…
Stanford Medicine researchers first reported successful use of monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer
In 1981, Stanford oncologist Ronald Levy reported the first successful use of monoclonal antibodies, which are laboratory-created molecules…
Roger W. Sperry was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1981, Roger W. Sperry of the California Institute of Technology was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology…
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…
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…
Immunex Corporation was founded
In 1981, Immunex Corporation was founded by Stephen Duzan, and Christopher Henney and Steven Gillis from the Hutchinson…
Imre Corp was founded
In 1981, Imre Corp. (Immune Response Systems, Inc.) was founded in Seattle. The company developed the Prosorba Column,…
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 | Energy | Life Science History | Marine Science | Materials | Medicine | NIH | Non-Profit Research | U.S. Congress
Bayh-Dole Act passed congress allowing universities to patent discoveries made in federally supported laboratories
On Dec. 12, 1980, A bill to amend title 35 of the United States Code (H.R.6933, Public Law:…
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…