Production of Penicillin

To the Editor: Regarding Dr. Lerner's history of the production of penicillin (Aug. 5 issue) 1 , rarely has the development of a medical therapy occasioned such dedication and excitement. Charles Fletcher commented that “it is difficult to convey the excitement of actually witnessing the amazing power of penicillin over infections for which there had previously been no effective treatment.” 2 World War II was a major impetus for the crash program of penicillin production. 3 This partnership of drug companies and the U.S. government set aside commercialism, patents, and antitrust law to encourage the sharing of information and know-how. The initial companies . . .