Parke-Davis
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pharmaceutical |
| Founded | January 1, 1860 in Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Founder | Dr. Samuel P. Duffield |
| Fate | Acquired by Warner–Lambert in 1970; later acquired by Pfizer in 2000 |
| Headquarters | Detroit , United States |
| Parent | Pfizer |
Parke-Davis operates as a subsidiary under the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Once recognized as the oldest and largest drug manufacturer in the United States, it significantly influenced the advancement of medicine. The company was acquired by Warner–Lambert in 1970, which itself was later purchased by Pfizer in 2000.
History
Established in Detroit, Michigan by Dr. Samuel P. Duffield, a physician and pharmacist, Parke-Davis started its journey as a modest drugstore in 1860. In 1866, Duffield formed a partnership with entrepreneur Hervey Coke Parke, followed by the addition of salesman George S. Davis in 1867. After Duffield exited the business in 1869, the firm adopted the name Parke, Davis & Company by 1875.
By 1871, the company initiated botanical expeditions to Central and South America to obtain medicinal plants, leading to products such as the herbal laxative Cascara. It grew to become the largest pharmaceutical enterprise worldwide, setting benchmarks with its modern laboratories and structured clinical trial methodologies. The Parke-Davis Research Laboratory has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
In 1912, pharmacist Wilbur Scoville created the "Scoville Organoleptic Test," which is presently referred to as the Scoville scale, a measure of chili pepper pungency.
The Michigan manufacturing site, once a notable landmark, is currently managed by PAR Pharmaceuticals. During the 1950s, Parke-Davis collaborated with Jonas Salk on vaccine adjuvants and briefly held exclusive manufacturing rights for the polio vaccine during initial field testing before production rights expanded to other companies.
In 1957, Parke-Davis engaged artist Robert Thom to produce “A History of Pharmacy in Pictures,” an artistic endeavor aimed at celebrating pharmaceutical heritage through displays in drugstores.
The company faced legal scrutiny in Franklin v. Parke-Davis (2002) over allegations of unlawful marketing practices related to its anticonvulsant drug Neurontin. Although approved solely for epilepsy treatment, more than 80% of its $1.8 billion revenue in 2001 stemmed from off-label prescriptions. Pfizer later acknowledged that Parke-Davis had aggressively promoted off-label uses and settled with $430 million in fines.
In January 2007, Pfizer shut down its research facilities in Ann Arbor as part of corporate restructuring initiatives.
Products
Among Parke-Davis' initial offerings was an amylase enzyme extracted from Aspergillus oryzae by Dr. Jōkichi Takamine. Originally intended for use in distilleries, it was successfully marketed under the name "Taka-diastase" to treat indigestion.
The company distributed Coley's toxins—the pioneering cancer vaccine—and produced vaccines for infectious diseases through partnerships with institutions such as St Mary's Hospital in London. Takamine also developed a purified adrenaline formulation patented in 1900 and marketed as "Adrenalin." The resulting patent dispute with H. K. Mulford Company became a landmark case influencing contemporary patent law.
Parke-Davis earned international acclaim for its cannabis-based products, even causing diplomatic tensions at the International Office of Public Hygiene, the precursor to the World Health Organization.
Prior to cocaine's prohibition, Parke-Davis sold various forms including injectable solutions, promoting their stimulant and analgesic properties. Notably, Aleister Crowley collaborated with the firm on peyote-derived products. The company also held patents on phencyclidine (PCP) and developed Ketalar (ketamine hydrochloride), an anesthetic agent introduced in 1962.
Dilantin, marketed by Parke-Davis, was the first broadly accessible epilepsy medication approved in 1939. In the late 1990s, they partnered with Daiichi Sankyo and Glaxo Wellcome to create Rezulin (troglitazone), an anti-diabetic drug later withdrawn in 2000 due to concerns over liver damage.
As innovators in vaccine development, Parke-Davis produced the first bacterial vaccine and was among five manufacturers contracted for the original Salk polio vaccine production. In 1954, they formulated Quadrigen—a combined DPT and polio vaccine—approved in 1959 but withdrawn in 1968 following litigation related to adverse reactions. The company also manufactured chloramphenicol, a widely used broad-spectrum antibiotic eventually associated with aplastic anemia.
Additional significant products included anti-infective agents and combined oral contraceptives, highlighting Parke-Davis' extensive range within pharmaceutical manufacturing.
External links
- Pharmaceutical companies in the United States that are no longer active
- American firms founded in 1866
- Pfizer
- Companies headquartered in Detroit
- Michigan-based companies that have ceased operations
- Historic American Engineering Record sites in Michigan
- Mergers and acquisitions completed in 2000
- Companies formerly traded on the New York Stock Exchange
- American companies established in 1866
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment