Grünenthal prohibited the research and manufacture of penicillin by German companies. When the ban was lifted, Grünenthal was the first company to introduce penicillin in the postwar period into the German market. This investment achieved a big financial boost for the company. Chemie Grünenthal synthesized thalidomide in 1954 and acquired a 20-year patent. Soon after obtaining a patent in April 1954, the company started clinical trials, and as early as November 1956, marketed the drug for the treatment of respiratory infections under the trade name Grippex, a combination drug that contained thalidomide, quinine, vitamin C, phenacetin, and acetylsalicylic acid. Researchers at
Moronic acid resistant to (bevirimat). This derivative has become a new lead for clinical trials and is also active against herpes simplex virus 1. Moronic acid Moronic acid (3-oxoolean-18-en-28-oic acid) is a natural triterpene. Moronic acid can be extracted from "Rhus javanica", a sumac plant traditionally believed to hold medicinal applications. The molecule has also been extracted from Mistletoe ("Phoradendron reichenbachianum"). Bevirimat, a derivative of the related triterpenoid betulinic acid, is under development as an anti-HIV drug; however, moronic acid has shown better antiviral profiles "in vitro" than bevirimat. A particular moronic acid derivative showed potent anti-HIV activity with EC values of