Bayer invented the drug Aspirin
German pharmaceutical firm Bayer invented the drug acetylsalicylic acid, which it marketed under the name Aspirin, in 1897. The drug was created as a safer alternative to the salicylate drugs, which caused damage to the stomach. Founded in 1863, the pharmaceutical major recently signed a $66 billion deal to acquire biotechnology firm Monsanto, creating the world's largest agricultural company.