Schenley Industries

Schenley Industries was a prominent American corporation that, while primarily known for its spirits and distilling business, played a vital role in the pharmaceutical industry during the mid-20th century. Through its subsidiary, Schenley Laboratories, the company became a pioneer in the mass production of penicillin, utilizing its industrial-scale fermentation expertise to support the Allied war effort during World War II. Following the war, the company expanded its pharmaceutical operations to include other antibiotics such as streptomycin and developed blood plasma expanders like polyvinylpyrrolidone. In 1960, Schenley sold its pharmaceutical division to the Rexall Drug and Chemical Company to focus on its core beverage business. The company is historically significant in the life sciences for helping transform antibiotic production from small-scale laboratory processes to global industrial manufacturing.