Reprofiling Hydrogen Peroxide from Antiseptics to Pyolytics: A Narrative Overview of the History of Inventions in Russia

Pyolytics are drugs that dissolve thick pus when applied topically. This group of drugs was discovered in early 21st century in Russia as a result of successful repurposing of antiseptics hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride from antiseptics to pyolytics. Prior to this watershed event in pharmacy, the problem of effective treatment of purulent diseases had not been solved. The fact is that before that in the treatment of various purulent diseases mainly antiseptics and disinfectants solutions were used, of which hypertonic sodium chloride solution and 3 - 6% hydrogen peroxide solutions took the leading role as "antipurulent" drugs. However, the use of the known antiseptics and disinfectants solutions provided disinfection of the treated surface, but not dissolution of thick pus masses, as the solutions had no effective pyolytic action. Pyolytic activity, i.e. activity of dissolution of thick pus masses, was fantastically increased in hydrogen peroxide solutions only after the possibility of transformation of "old" drugs into "new" drugs by means of artificial changes in physical and chemical properties of their dosage forms was discovered. The greatest (explosive) effect was achieved by developing warm alkaline hydrogen peroxide solutions enriched with oxygen gas under increased pressure. In chronological order, an overview is given of Russian inventions, which formed the basis for the physicochemical repurposing of hydrogen peroxide solutions into pyolytics as well as the basis of temperature and physicochemical pharmacology and pharmaceutics.