The legacy of Dr. Harry W. Diehl, PhD
The National Institutes of Health chemist who isolated and synthesized cetyl myristoleate (CM8) — the joint-support compound that began with a simple question: why do some mice never develop arthritis?
A career spent making things, and one discovery that outlasted them all.
Dr. Diehl developed hundreds of compounds across a long career at the NIH. He is best remembered for one he wasn’t even looking for.
NIH chemist
Four decades at the National Institutes of Health, where his specialty was sugar synthesis — not arthritis.
An unexpected lead
While studying why certain mice resisted induced arthritis, he traced the protection to a single fatty-acid ester.
Isolated & synthesized
Using thin-layer chromatography he identified cetyl myristoleate, then recreated it in the lab by esterification.
Documented
His findings were published in 1994 and protected by three U.S. patents granted between 1977 and 1996.
2-deoxy-D-ribose
An earlier synthesis of his supported mid-century polio-vaccine research — one of several contributions to public health.
A personal stake
Diehl developed arthritis himself late in life and, by his own account, prepared the compound for his own use.
The milestones of a single discovery.
Develops a synthesis of 2-deoxy-D-ribose, a sugar relevant to the polio-vaccine research of the era.
Turns his attention to arthritis after a friend develops a severe case — well outside his field of sugar chemistry.
Isolates and synthesizes cetyl myristoleate; granted his first U.S. patent (No. 4,049,824).
Two further U.S. patents follow, covering methods related to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Diehl & May publish their findings in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Vol. 83).
Cetyl myristoleate reaches the U.S. supplement market as a joint-support ingredient.
Dr. Harry W. Diehl passes away at the age of 89.
Where cetyl myristoleate went next.
The ingredient Dr. Diehl isolated is now used in joint-support supplements for people and pets. Learn about the compound itself, or see how it’s formulated today.
Cetyl myristoleate, explained
A plain-language guide to the compound — the chemistry, the research, and how it compares to glucosamine, turmeric and the rest.
Cetyl-Myristoleate.com → In products todayFor people & pets
Cetyl myristoleate is used in human joint formulas (Flexcin) and pet joint chews (FlexPet) alongside ingredients like MSM and glucosamine.
Flexcin & FlexPet →