n 1976, Tagamet (cimetidine) was approved in Britain, and three years later the FDA followed suit. It was the first drug designed to treat heartburn and ulcers by reducing the production of stomach acid, rather than simply trying to neutralize it with antacids. It worked very well. Its inventors, Smith, Kline and French (now part of Glaxo) were rewarded for their effort; Tagamet became the first $1 billion selling drug ever.
