In 1894, German chemist Felix Hoffmann, one of the inventors of Aspirin, joined “Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co.” to work in the company’s chemical laboratory.

Hoffmann had discovered a pain-relieving, fever-lowering and anti-inflammatory substance. The company then worked flat out to develop a cost-effective production process that would allow the promising active ingredient to be supplied as a pharmaceutical product.

In 1899 it was launched for the first time under the trade name Aspirin™, initially as a powder supplied in glass bottles. Aspirin™ has made the Bayer name world-famous like no other drug product. By the time Hoffman retired in 1928, his discovery was already a worldwide success. Yet the “inventor” of Aspirin™ remained unknown to the international public. He lived in Switzerland out of the public eye until his death in 1946.