The History of Bayer Aspirin

In 400 B.C. Hippocrates recommended willow tree bark and leaves for pain relief. Willows are rich in salicin, which a key ingredient in aspirin. Over the centuries, many physicians and chemists contributed to the development of aspirin, but Bayer was the first company to produce and market it worldwide.

Origin

• In 1897 chemist Felix Hoffman, who worked for Frederich Bayer and Company, developed a product called Aspirin to help ease his father's arthritis pain.

Prescription Form

• In 1899 Bayer began offering a powder form of the pain reliever developed by Felix Hoffman to doctors to prescribe for their patients.

Over-the-Counter Form

• Bayer aspirin became available in tablets without a prescription in 1915.

Aspirin for Heart Attacks

• After noticing that 400 male patients who had taken aspirin did not have any heart attacks, California doctor Lawrence Craven began recommending that his patients take Bayer once a day in 1948. Fifty years later the FDA recommended aspirin for stroke prevention.

Innovations

• Bayer introduced chewable aspirin for children in 1952. Astronauts brought aspirin into space in 1969 as part of their first aid kit.

Bayer Today

• Bayer continues to partner with the medical community to research the benefits of aspirin in cardiovascular disease prevention. In 2009 Bayer became involved in one of the largest clinical studies ever conducted for people with moderate risk of heart disease and stroke.