Abelardo Aguilar

Abelardo Aguilar, was a Filipino doctor from Iloilo, Philippines who worked as a researcher in Eli Lilly and Company.

Discovery of Erythromycin

In 1949, Aguilar was testing soil samples from his backyard and had discovered a method to formulate Erythromycin.

Saccharopolyspora erythraea, a strain of bacteria was isolated and lead to his discovery and to the development of Erythromycin, an antibiotic used today. Aguilar discovered a method to formulate Erythromycin while testing soil samples from his backyard

Dr. Abelardo Aguilar isolated a strain of bacteria which lead to the development of Erythromycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat and prevent a wide range of infections.

Eli Lilly marketed Erythromycin under the brand name Ilosone. Unfortunately, Aguilar received no credit or compensation for his discovery.