Aspirin Synthesized
Felix Hoffmann at Bayer synthesized acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) in pure stable form
August 10, 1897
The World's Most Common Medicine
On August 10, 1897, a young German chemist named Felix Hoffmann working at Bayer laboratories synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in a stable, pure form for the first time. Bayer named the compound Aspirin and began selling it in 1899, first as a powder and then as a tablet. The name came from "a" for acetyl and "spir" from Spiraea, the plant genus from which salicylic acid was originally derived. While willow bark and other plants containing natural salicylates had been used as pain relievers for thousands of years, Hoffmann's synthesis created a version that was far easier on the stomach and more consistent in strength.
How Aspirin Works
Aspirin belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. It works by blocking enzymes called COX-1 and COX-2, which the body uses to produce prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals that trigger inflammation, pain, and fever. By reducing their production, aspirin relieves headaches, muscle pain, and fever. It also prevents blood platelets from clumping together, which is why low-dose aspirin is often recommended to people at risk of heart attacks or strokes. This blood-thinning effect was discovered decades after aspirin was first introduced.
A Century of Uses
Aspirin became one of the best-selling drugs in the world throughout the 20th century. It was used heavily during the 1918 influenza pandemic to treat fever, though very high doses may have worsened outcomes for some patients. Over the decades, researchers discovered new uses for the drug, from preventing colorectal cancer to reducing inflammation in autoimmune conditions. Today, aspirin is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Roughly 40,000 metric tons of aspirin tablets are produced each year globally, making it one of the most manufactured pharmaceutical products in history.