Nitroglycerin was first used by William Merrell to stop an attack of angina pectoris. The discovery was published in 1878, but only in 2002 it was found that the enzyme, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase, is able to convert nitroglycerin into a powerful vasodilator - nitric oxide. It is still recommended by most emergency care guidelines for angina.

Researchers continue to research new uses for nitroglycerin and new dosage forms. For example, it has been found that nitroglycerin causes a decrease in bone resorption and promotes the formation of bone tissue; therefore, the possibilities of its use for the treatment of foot ulcers caused by diabetes are being studied. The metabolic pathway "nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide" has been considered in terms of approach to the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Interestingly, data published in the New York Times in 2010 indicates that 80% of the nearly 5 million prescription nitroglycerin tablets for sublingual use have not been approved because, according to FDA guidelines, approval of drugs placed on the market before 1938 was not required

Currently, there are several ways to use it, including oral, intravenous, sublingual, local and rectal. Nitroglycerin for rectal use has recently been approved for pain relief in anal fissures due to the relaxing effect of nitric oxide on the internal anal sphincter.

The use of colchicine in the colchic autumn (Colchicum autumnale) dates back to 1500 BC, and its first recorded use for the treatment of gout dates back to the first century AD.

Colchicine became available to the public after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as an inherited drug that did not require approval and was sold until 1938. However, in 2009, the FDA has granted UREL Pharma an exclusive license, and the price of its drug under the brand Colcrys (Colcrys) has dropped from 10 cents to $ 5 per pill. The drug can cause serious side effects, especially when interacting with clarithromycin, but it remains an important drug for the treatment of gout and familial Mediterranean fever, and is also useful for the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulcers. In addition, the antimitotic activity of colchicine is currently being studied in terms of its use in the treatment of cancer, and its neutrophilic properties are being studied to protect the cardiovascular system. A recent study has shown the beneficial properties of this drug for the treatment of endocarditis.