Acetylsalicylic acid

Acetylsalicylic acid, widely known by the genericized trademark aspirin, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for pain relief, fever reduction and inflammation, and also for its anticoagulant effect. It works by irreversibly inactivating cyclooxygenase enzymes through acetylation of a serine residue, blocking the synthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxane, which distinguishes it from reversible nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. It is used for pain relief and fever reduction, as an anti-inflammatory treatment for conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and Kawasaki disease, for secondary prevention of heart attacks and ischemic strokes in high-risk patients, and with extended use for colorectal cancer prevention. It was first synthesized in 1853 by the chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt, and Felix Hoffmann of Bayer produced the first pure, stable form in 1897, with Bayer marketing it globally as Aspirin by 1899. It remains one of the most widely consumed medications in the world.