Ibuprofen

In 1949, a study was conducted on the pharmacological properties of Irgapyrin, a new drug from the pyrazole group, as reported in the Schweizer Medizinische Wochenschrift.

Dr. Stewart Adams, Dr. John Nicholson, and Mr. Colin Burrows discovered the anti-inflammatory effects of ibuprofen in guinea pigs on December 19, 1961. This discovery led to the development of ibuprofen as a prescription drug for arthritic pain and inflammation.

A patent for ibuprofen was granted to Boots in 1962, leading to its approval as a prescription drug seven years later. Ibuprofen has since become a widely used painkiller with various forms available in the market.

GB patent 971700 was published on September 30, 1964, by Stewart Sanders Adams & John Stuart Nicholson for 'Anti-Inflammatory Agents', assigned to Boots Pure Drug Co Ltd.

In 1967, Boardman, P.L., Nuki, G. and Dudley Hart, F. discussed the use of Ibuprofen in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteo-arthritis in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

In 1968, Thompson, Fox, and Newell conducted a study on the use of Ibuprofen for arthritis treatment, which was published in Medical Proceedings - Mediense Bydraes, South Africa.

Ibuprofen was the first member of Propionic acid derivatives introduced in 1969 as a better alternative to Aspirin, with prominent analgesic and antipyretic roles.

A symposium held in London in 1970 specifically on the topic of Ibuprofen, discussing its relevance to rheumatology and physical medicine.

In 1972, Shen discussed perspectives in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in the Angewandte Chemie, International Edition.

In 1974, Ibuprofen was introduced in the United States, expanding its availability to a larger population and becoming a popular choice for pain relief.

In 1982, Nicholson discussed Ibuprofen in the book 'Chronicles of Drug Discovery', highlighting its significance in the field of medicine.

In 1983, ibuprofen was approved for non-prescription use in the UK after safety data from 19,000 patients was presented to the UK CSM, supporting its case for over-the-counter use.

In 1984, Adams, S.S. and Marchant, shared 'the ibuprofen story' in the Pharmaceutical Journal.

In 1985, Boots' worldwide patent for Ibuprofen expired, leading to the launch of generic products and increasing the availability of the medication.

In 1987, Rainsford KD provided an introduction and historical aspects of the side effects of ibuprofen, a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

In 1988, Adams, S.S. studied the plasma half-lives and adverse reactions of NSAIDs.

Ibuprofen is switched to general sale list status in the UK, allowing it to be sold in general retail outlets without pharmacist supervision.

In 1997, Rainsford, Roberts, and Brown conducted a study on the relative safety of ibuprofen and paracetamol in non-prescription dosages, which was published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.

In January 1998, a study reported cases of transient renal failure in children with cystic fibrosis who were treated with both ibuprofen and aminoglycoside therapy.

In 1999, early clinical studies with ibuprofen in rheumatic patients were conducted cautiously with attention to dosage.

In 2002, interest grew in exploring ibuprofen's potential to prevent conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and certain cancers, indicating its diverse pharmacological effects.

A study in February 2003 examined the impact of ibuprofen on the cardioprotective effects of aspirin.

In 2005, concerns were raised about ibuprofen possibly interfering with the anti-platelet effects of aspirin, especially in patients at risk for cardiovascular conditions.

In 2006, ibuprofen lysine was approved in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for closure of patent ductus arteriosus in premature infants.

Studies conducted in 2008 showed that ibuprofen has relatively low risks for gastrointestinal, hepato-renal, and cardiovascular adverse reactions compared to other NSAIDs and coxibs.

In 2009, the first injectable formulation of Ibuprofen was approved in the United States under the brand name Caldolor, offering an alternative method of administration for the medication.

An overview of the main pharmacological effects, therapeutic applications, adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, and food-drug interactions of Ibuprofen reported in the last 10 years.

In March 2011, researchers at Harvard Medical School announced in Neurology that ibuprofen had a neuroprotective effect against the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. People regularly consuming ibuprofen were reported to have a 38% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

In 2012, there was commercial and clinical interest in developing combinations of ibuprofen with other drugs to enhance acute pain relief while maintaining safety benefits.

This article explores the journey of ibuprofen from its invention to becoming a widely used over-the-counter therapeutic option for various conditions.

On 9 July 2015, the US FDA strengthened warnings regarding the increased risk of heart attack and stroke associated with ibuprofen and related NSAIDs, excluding aspirin from this warning.

The European Medicines Agency confirms that high doses of ibuprofen carry a small increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Advertising watchdog bans a UK TV advertisement for Nurofen for false claims.

Observational studies suggest that taking ibuprofen during a cold or flu infection increases the risk of heart attack. Ibuprofen at doses >1,200mg daily increases the risk of myocardial infarction.

In October 2020, the US FDA mandated the update of the drug label for all NSAID medications to include information about the risk of kidney problems in unborn babies leading to low amniotic fluid.

In 2021, Ibuprofen was the 36th-most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 17 million prescriptions.