Charles Heidelberger, who had earlier found that fluorine in fluoroacetic acid inhibited a vital enzyme, asked Robert Duschinsky and Robert Schnitzer at Hoffman-La Roche to synthesize fluorouracil.
Charles Heidelberger, que anteriormente encontrara que o flúor do ácido fluoroacético inhibía un encima vital, pediu a Robert Duschinsky e a Robert Schnitzer de Hoffman-La Roche que sintetizasen o fluorouracilo.