BOTULISM - some trivia

• The German physician and poet Justinus Kerner (1786-1862) first developed the idea of a possible therapeutic use of botulinum toxin, which he called "sausage poison."
• In 1870, Muller (another German physician) coined the name botulism. The Latin form is botulus, which means sausage.
• In 1895, Professor Emile Van Ermengem of Belgium first isolated the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
• In 1928, Dr. Herman Sommer at the University of California, San Francisco, first isolated in purified form botulinum toxin type A as a stable acid precipitate.
• In 1946, Dr. Edward J Schantz succeeded in purifying botulinum toxin type A in crystalline form-cultured Clostridium botulinum and isolated the toxin.
• In 1949, Dr. Burgen's ASV group discovered that botulinum toxin blocks neuromuscular transmission.
• In the 1950s, Dr. Vernon Brooks discovers that botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A), when injected into a hyperactive muscle, blocks the release of acetylcholine from motor nerve endings.
• In 1973, Dr. Alan B. Scott, of Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, used botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in monkey experiments, and, in 1980, he used BTX-A for the first time in humans to treat strabismus.
• In December 1989, BTX-A (BOTOX®) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of strabismus, blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm in patients aged younger than 12 years.
• BTX-A received FDA approval for treatment of cervical dystonia on December 21, 2000.
• In 2001, The UK approves BOTOX® (BoNT/A) synthesized by Allergan for axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Canada approves BOTOX® (BoNT/A) synthesized by Allergan for axillary hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), focal muscle spasticity, and for cosmetic treatment of wrinkles at the brow line.
• On April 15, 2002, the FDA announced the approval of botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX® Cosmetic) to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines).
• In July 2004, the FDA approves botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX®) to treat severe underarm sweating, known as primary axillary hyperhidrosis, that cannot be managed by topical agents such as prescription antiperspirants.
• Although it has not been approved by the FDA for any other indications, the acceptance of BTX-A use for the treatment of spasticity and muscle pain disorders is growing, with approvals pending in many European countries.
• The clinical use of botulinum toxin serotypes B (BTX-B) was studied, and several products currently are available commercially (eg, MyoBloc in the United States, NeuroBloc in Europe). Botulinum toxin type B (MyoBloc) was approved by the FDA on December 8, 2000 for treatment of cervical dystonia to reduce the severity of abnormal head position and neck pain.
• Use of botulinum toxin type F (BTX-F) also is under investigation in patients who have become immunologically resistant to serotypes A and B.

(Source: eMedicine....without permision ofcourse!!!)