What Happened On March 6th?
On March 6th of 1899, a German pharmaceutical company, Friedrich Bayer & Co. registered the name Aspirin as a trademark for their newly developed drug, acetylsalicylic acid. This seemingly mundane trademark registration would pave the way for one of the most widely used and trusted medications in the world.
Interestingly, the name “Aspirin” wasn’t derived from a scientific term or medicinal source. It’s a combination of two words: “spirea”, a genus of flowering plants related to the willow tree, and “acid”, referencing the drug’s chemical composition.
The active ingredient in Aspirin, salicin, was initially extracted from the bark of willow trees and used for centuries for its pain-relieving properties. However, this natural remedy came with its downsides – it had a bitter taste and could irritate the stomach.
Enter Felix Hoffmann, a young chemist working at Bayer. In 1897, his father suffered from the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis. Fully Understanding his father’s pain, Hoffmann, driven by personal motivation, focused his efforts on finding a more tolerable version of salicin.
He successfully modified the chemical structure, creating acetylsalicylic acid, which offered the same pain-relieving benefits without the unpleasant side effects.
Aspirin’s popularity soared throughout the early 20th century. However, during World War I, Bayer, a German company, faced hostility in the United States and its trademark was confiscated. Until 1915, American companies were not able to produce and sell acetylsalicylic acid under the generic name “aspirin.”
While most commonly known for its pain-relieving and fever-reducing properties, Aspirin continues to be investigated for its potential benefits in preventing heart disease, certain types of cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Today, Aspirin remains to be a global phenomenon, consumed by billions worldwide. From a natural remedy to a trademarked drug, and then back to a generic medication, Aspirin is a “founding father” of the vast amount of pharmaceuticals we have today.
