Filipino Doctor Allegedly Helped Discover the Erythromycin But Was Never Get Paid Even After the Success
Filipino Doctor – A Filipino doctor named Abelardo Aguilar allegedly helped discover erythromycin and made his employer filthy rich yet he was never duly compensated nor recognized for his efforts.
A doctor from Iloilo, Abelardo Aguilar, worked for the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company as a researcher. Then in 1949, he submitted samples of his work to the company’s research team. In 1952, it was declared that a new kind of antibiotic was discovered.
According to the article of Filipiknow, the new drug was capable of treating several kinds of infections minus the common side-effects of antibiotics. What’s more, the drug was available to those who were allergic to penicillin.
Generically named erythromycin, the company christened it as “Ilosone” (it was also called Ilotycin) to commemorate its origin in Iloilo and marketed it under that name worldwide. As can be expected, Eli Lilly and Company raked in billions of dollars.
Aguilar was initially promised by his district manager a trip to the company’s manufacturing plant in Indianapolis where he would be recognized for his work. But with the manager’s resignation, the trip never transpired. Even his personal letter to the company president telling him of the promise fell on deaf ears later on.
Based on the article, after Aguilar left the company, he set up his own clinic in Iloilo where he gained the reputation of being a pro-poor doctor. During that time, he was still in vain to get recognition and compensation from his former company. Unfortunately, Aguilar never saw a single centavo as he died a poor man in September 1993.
Then a controversy came out that the pharmaceutical was discriminating against non-white employees. Allegedly, Aguilar was forced to resign from the company before he found out that his discovery was worth billions.
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