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ATC Code
A12AA07
Source
DPD · 02533790
2-acetoxybenzoic acid2-(acetyloxy)benzoic acido-acetylsalicylic acidacetylsalicylic acidacetyl salicylatesalicylic acid acetateo-carboxyphenyl acetatemonoacetic acid ester of salicylic acid
USDailyMed:Acetylsalicylic acid
AU:C
A01AD05(WHO)B01AC06(WHO),N02BA01(WHO)
AU:S6(Poison) /Schedule 5; Schedule 4; Schedule 2 Appendix F, clause 4CA:OTCUK:General sales list(GSL, OTC)US:OTC/ Rx-onlySE: OTC
2-acetyloxybenzoic acid
50-78-2
2244
4139
DB00945
2157
R16CO5Y76E
D00109C01405
CHEBI:15365
ChEMBL25
AIN (PDBe,RCSB PDB)
DTXSID5020108
Interactive image
O=C(C)Oc1ccccc1C(=O)O
InChI=1S/C9H8O4/c1-6(10)13-8-5-3-2-4-7(8)9(11)12/h2-5H,1H3,(H,11,12)Key:BSYNRYMUTXBXSQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Aspirin(/ˈæsp(ə)rɪn/) is thegenericized trademarkforacetylsalicylic acid(ASA), anonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug(NSAID) used to reducepain,fever, andinflammation, and as anantithrombotic.Aspirin is used to treat inflammatory conditions includingKawasaki disease,pericarditis, andrheumatic fever.
Aspirin is also used long-term to help prevent furtherheart attacks,ischaemic strokes, andblood clotsin people at high risk.For pain or fever, effects typically begin within 30 minutes.Aspirin works similarly to other NSAIDs but also suppresses the normal functioning ofplatelets.
One commonadverse effectis anupset stomach.More significant side effects includestomach ulcers,stomach bleeding, and worseningasthma.Bleeding risk is greater among those who are older, drinkalcohol, take other NSAIDs, or are on otherblood thinners.Aspirin is not recommended in the last part ofpregnancy.It is not generally recommended in children withviral infectionsbecause of the risk ofReye syndrome.High doses may result inringing in the ears.
Aprecursorto aspirin found in the bark of thewillow tree(genusSalix),salicin, is metabolized in the human gut into the medicinally active compoundsalicylic acidand has been used for its health effects for at least 2,400 years.Pharmacologysought asyntheticalternative. In 1853, the chemistCharles Frédéric Gerhardttreated the medicinesodium salicylatewithacetyl chlorideto produce acetylsalicylic acid for the first time.Over the next 50 years, other chemists, mostly of the German companyBayer, established the chemical structure and devised more efficient production methods.Felix Hoffmann(or perhapsArthur Eichengrün) of Bayer was the first to produce acetylsalicylic acid in a pure, stable form in 1897.By 1899, Bayer had dubbed this drug Aspirin and was selling it globally.
Aspirin is availablewithout medical prescriptionas a proprietary orgeneric medicationin most jurisdictions. It is one of the most widely used medications globally, with an estimated 40,000 tonnes (44,000 tons) (50 to 120 billionpills) consumed each year,and is on theWorld Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.In 2023, it was the 46th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 14million prescriptions.
