While a professor at Georgetown University, he studied the antihistamine Seldane, which had been found to cause health problems.

FORBES: Pharmaceuticals

But Aventis researchers tweaked Seldane to get rid of its big liability it caused irregular heart beats and Allegra was born.

FORBES: Great News For Hayfever Sufferers

As precedent he cites the example of Seldane, an antihistamine developed by Hoechst Marion Roussel (now Aventis (nyse: AVE - news - people )) to treat hay fever.

FORBES: Laser light shows

It took the better part of a decade for dangerous heart side effects to show up in Seldane, an antihistamine made by the company that became Aventis (nyse: AVE - news - people ).

FORBES: Magazine Article