Though synthesized in 1908 by Austrian chemist Paul Gelmo, many years would pass before the antibacterial action of sulfanilamide was realized. Indeed, it was not until 1932 that the German scientist Gerhard Domagk discovered that a red dye called Prontosil showed activity against streptococcal infections, and nearly three more years went by before French researchers found that its active antibacterial agent was sulfanilamide. However, soon after this realization, new sulfa drugs, most of which were more potent and less toxic than the compound from which they were derived, were produced and introduced to the pharmaceuticals market at a considerable pace.