What company makes bayer aspirin?

When it comes to aspirin, we all know that there’s one brand that stands out above the rest: Bayer. But have you ever stopped to consider who actually makes this magical little pill? Well, look no further because today we’re going to explore the story behind Bayer Aspirin and its parent company.

From Humble Beginnings: The Birth of Bayer

Let’s take a trip back in time to when horses still roamed the streets, and electricity was considered witchcraft. It was 1863, and Germany was on the verge of unification. In a small town called Barmen (which is now part of Wuppertal), two men named Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott founded a dye company called Friedr. Bayer et comp., which directly translates to “Friedrich Bayer & Co.” (creative naming wasn’t really their strong suit). A few years later, another man joined them by the name of Carl Duisberg, and together they formed what would eventually become one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in existence today.

Dyeing for Success

Initially, Friedrich and Johann were focused on producing synthetic dyes for use in textiles (what can we say? They had an eye for fashion) using materials like coal tar as their primary source. However, by 1879, they had achieved something remarkable – they had created an entirely new class of dyes known as triarylmethane dyes, which quickly gained popularity worldwide for their brilliant colors.

By diversifying into chemicals other than just coal tar derivatives that everyone else was working with,, they set themselves apart from every Tom Dick and Harry textile chemist flooding Europe at these times – this wouldn’t be our familiar aspirin empire without some bold risk taking!

But here’s where things really start to get inspired…

In 1888 while Marcelin Berthelot was synthesising salicylic acid from phenol, he conveniently left a reaction mixture on top of his stove without turning it off. The excess heat drove the reaction forwards further and voilà – acetylsalicylic acid was created! Carl Gassner spotted this therapeutic potential in 1897 and soon discovered that he could extract a large amount of pure ASA by boiling bark from white willow trees (which had been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times).

Aspirin: A Headache No More

Fast forward to 1899, when suddenly everything changed – an employee at Bayer named Felix Hoffmann invented aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) accidentally while trying to formulate a less irritating form of salicylic acid to treat his father’s rheumatism.

The Bayer scientists tested their new painkiller on themselves before marketing it.. so they were not only chemists but medical guinea pigs too? This is crazy!

And thus, the ultimate headache remedy was born! Soon after its creation, aspirin started selling like hotcakes (although admittedly that’s a weird thing to compare medicine sales to). It quickly became apparent that aspirin wasn’t just good for headaches; it also helped with inflammation and fever reduction.

Despite the company’s early successes, however Bayer had some issues as one might expect with any rising corporate behemoth, particularly when World War I broke out. That didn’t stop them though; by then, they’d already established subsidiaries worldwide and become known as one of Germany’s leading companies.

So Who Owns Bayer Now?

But enough about history lessons – let’s get back to present day. With such a rich past behind them…

Hold up… which ‘them’? Bayer or Friedr… wait what did we learn again? Let me scroll up…

(Scrolling)

Ah yes- these days it’s just simply Bayer AG, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. And like many large firms they have changed hands multiple times…

Who owns what now?

To keep things simple let’s just summarize and focus on major acquisitions that benefit our beloved aspirin pill..

Let’s see… In 1925 I.G. Farben (currently called BASF) purchased a controlling stake in Bayer due to “synergies”. Then post-World War II in 1951 the United States government seized I.G. Farben-associated assets, causing Bayer to undergo another transition period with shares split among different corporations and entities.

In recent years some blockbuster mergers took place such as Dow Chemical patenting piperonyl butoxide which is utilized within insecticides leading them to go into an agreement wherein pigments business from each company switched places…But how does this relate to aspirin you might ask? Fear not…

By FAR most significant was when German chemical giant Merck actually sold $14 billion worth of its online pharmacy division RX for less than its intrinsic value so it could acquire Monsanto – the little biotech firm best known for engineering mutant crops more resistant per capita litigation – wait no, “Roundup Ready” crops! That aside another consequence conveniently resulted from; acquiring other useful products applicable within medical fields while phasing out non-pharmaceutical ones……

The aspirational giants were truly awakening!

Since then onward, numerous other smaller purchases helped consolidate operations down until we arrive where individual identities under Bayer get hazy.. including relationships with joint ventures and agreements along various supply chains worldwide

So Exactly Who Makes Bayer Aspirin Today Anyways?

After all those mergers & acquisitions by frequently intersecting colossal conglomerates (interesting mental image)… who actually makes our trusty little buddy nowadays? Let’s unpack.

What Goes Into Making Each Aspirin Pill Anyway?

Before anyone can make something, they have to know what goes into it (unless you’re cooking with my mom, who never measures anything and just throws stuff in the pot willy-nilly). In Bayer’s case, each aspirin pill is composed of 325 mg acetylsalicylic acid along with microcrystalline cellulose as a tablet binder – this holds the granulated bulk of ASA together- The contents then compressed through industrial cold forging techniques giving us our simple white tablets.

Manufacturing & Distribution

Bayer Aspirin production takes place within many different facilities throughout the world including locations such as Germany, Argentina Mexico Turkey Korea China Switzerland North Carolina Verona New Jersey…

Full list is indeed extensive but let’s leave that to somewhere else. Appropriate logistical labour distribution from raw inputs transported globally right up until final product shipping ensures we get those pills where we need them… whether for headaches or reducing risk of blood clots I’m no expert on this topic!

Various wholesalers handle getting these bundled across storefronts around US including behemoths like Walmart & Target given credentials over reaching patient requirements! And if preferential choice rests closer at home most community-based pharmacies across America will carry some form of Bayer Aspirin variant.. so wherever ya go odds are good having much needed relief isn’t far off.

Conclusion

And there you have it – an overview (and slight history lesson) on who exactly makes Bayer Aspirin. To sum up all that info:

  • Bayer was initially founded in Germany back in 1863
  • Triarylmethane dyes helped lay foundation for future endeavours
  • ASA was accidentally created while trying to formulate slightly less irritating salicylic acid
  • Agreements between other chemical companies meant ownership changes causing mergers and acquisitions…
  • Today’s aspirin no longer seems directly linked given scope under which agreements were made thereby complicating things a bit….. At least we know essentially where to go find that easy to ingest variant of one of the world’s most popular OTC medications.

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