The pharmaceutical company that John Searle inherited from his father was moderately successful, with about $1 million in sales in 1936, but under Searle’s guidance the company grew rapidly. G. D. Searle’s biggest growth is owed to the launch of the first oral contraceptive drug, Enovid, in 1957. A product of John Searle’s intensive research program, Enovid was a huge success, allowing the firm’s profits to grow from $7.4 million to $24.2 million between 1960 and 1964.