Gentamicin was discovered in 1963 and is still widely used, despite the availability of other aminoglycosides. Gentamicin remains popular because it is a low-cost, quite effective antibiotic, demonstrating low antimicrobial resistance (2).

How was gentamicin discovered?

Research led by Marvin as the Director of Antibiotic Research at Schering resulted in the 1960s discovery of gentamicin from a soil bacterium provided by Americo Woyciesjes.

When was gentamicin invented?

Gentamicin is a bactericidal aminoglycoside that was discovered and isolated from Micromonospora purpurea in 1963. It is one of the most frequently prescribed aminoglycosides due to its spectrum of activity, low cost, and availability.