ANTICOAGULANT TIMELINE
The Evolution of Thrombosis and Anticoagulants
The search for effective anticoagulation dates back to ancient times. Only during the previous century has medical conjecture been tested and proven through clinical practice.
4th Century BC
Hippocrates proposes oral "blood thinners."1
10th Century AD
Medicinal leeches replace venesection as a method of anticoagulation.2
13th Century
An illustrated manuscript depicts what is believed to be the first well-documented
case of venous thromboembolism (VTE).1
1676
Richard Wiseman provides the first detailed description of a VTE following childbirth.1
1860
Rudolf Virchow presents his observations on a triad of factors in the pathophysiology of clot formation.1
1866
Spencer Wells recognizes a link between VTE and surgery.1
1884
The anticoagulant compound hirudin is identified in the saliva of European medicinal leeches (the extract was proven to be too toxic for clinical use).1
1916—First Clinically Important Anticoagulant
Jay McClean discovers heparin as the first clinically important anticoagulant.1
1935
A purified form of heparin is developed.1
1939
Karl Link, HA Campbell, and colleagues isolate and identify dicumarol.1
1941
The Mayo Clinic publishes the first clinical report on the oral anticoagulant dicoumarol.1
1948
The name of coumarin derivative No. 42 is coined as warfarin.1
1950s
Warfarin sodium is made available for clinical use.3
1980s—1990s
Low-molecular-weight heparin is developed and made available for clinical use.1
21st Century
Next-generation oral anticoagulants are in development.
