Klaus Schmiegel, German chemist
Klaus Schmiegel (born June 28, 1939), is most famous for his work in organic chemistry, which led to the invention of Prozac, a widely used antidepressant. Born in Chemitz, Germany, he moved to the U.S. in 1951 to continue his education. After he finished his schooling, Schmiegel joined Eli Lilly as a senior organic chemist; he worked there from 1968 until his retirement in 1993. There, he collaborated with Bryan Molloy to create a new group of compounds. One of them, fluoxetine hydrochloride, became the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used in the antidepressant medication, Prozac. The drug, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988, has revolutionized treatment for depression. In 1999, Schmiegel and Molloy were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and given the American Innovator Award. Throughout his career, Schmiegel garnered eighteen patents related to the synthesis of compounds.