In pharmacy, there is hardly any active ingredient about which more has been written than acetylsalicylic acid (or ASA for short; in English-speaking countries even the brand name Aspirin™ is often used as a synonym). Its success story began at the end of the 19th century when Dr Felix Hoffmann synthesized the substance at the BAYER laboratories for the first time without impurities.

Nowadays, it is still one of the most popular pharmaceuticals used across a broad therapeutic range. It belongs to the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and is indicated for the treatment of pain, fever and inflammation. In addition, it is used to prevent the recurrence of heart attack or stroke in high-risk patients. In 1977, ASA was added as an analgesic to the “essential drug list” of the WHO (World Health Organization).

To read in more detail the thermal behaviour of acetylsalicylic acid, please download this free white paper.