Mycophenolic acid was initially discovered by Italian Bartolomeo Gosio in 1893.[5][6] It was rediscovered in 1945 and 1968.[6] It was approved for medical use in the United States in 1995 following the discovery of its immunosuppressive properties in the 1990s.[4][5] It is available as a generic medication.[7] In the United Kingdom it costs the NHS about £14 per month.[7] In the United States this amount is about US$114.[8] In 2017, it was the 254th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than one million prescriptions.[9][10]