The script for two research teams inducted today into the American Chemical Society (ACS) scientific “hall of fame” ― the ACS Heroes of Chemistry ― is a tale of two medicines. One team invented a medicine that helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels.  The second team invented a medicine that helps people stop smoking, an addiction that experts regard as today’s single greatest preventable cause of death worldwide. The first team of Heroes — Nancy Thornberry, Ann Weber, Ph.D., and Joseph D. Armstrong III, Ph.D. — played key roles in discovering and developing JANUVIA® (sitagliptin), a diabetes medicine that enhances the body’s own ability to regulate blood sugar levels. JANUVIA® treats type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, affecting more than 24 million people in the United States and hundreds of millions worldwide. The trio of scientists work for Merck & Co., Inc., maker of JANUVIA®.. The other team of Heroes — Jotham Coe, Ph.D., and Brian O’Neill, Ph.D. — discovered CHANTIX® (varenicline), which helps people stop smoking cigarettes. Coe and O’Neill work for Pfizer Inc., which makes CHANTIX®.