This medication also helped a pharmacologist win a Nobel
Prize and celebrated 100 years in 1999. Keep reading to discover more interesting historical facts about the painkiller many patients use.
In 1897, Bayer’s chemist, Felix Hoffmann, seeking a cure for the severe pain his father experienced due to rheumatism, synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in pure form for
the first time.
A year later, Bayer patented this compound. Initially manufactured in powder form,
Aspirin became the first medicine produced in tablet form, ensuring consistent dosing, and setting a new standard for pharmaceutical products.
Aspirin’s significance continued to grow, reaching new heights—literally—when a box of Bayer Aspirin was carried to the moon on Apollo 11 in
1969.
In 1978, Sir John Vane received the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research on Aspirin,
discovering that it inhibits the production of prostaglandins—pain-transmitting substances in the body.
The year 1999 marked the 100th anniversary of Aspirin's patent. To celebrate, the Bayer building in Leverkusen, Germany, was adorned with the largest Aspirin packaging
ever.
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