ABSTRACT
The history of ibuprofen began over 40 years ago and is inextricably linked to understanding of the concepts of the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases and the actions of therapeutic agents used at that time. The first clinical trials with ibuprofen were performed by Dr Tom Chalmers of the Rheumatic Diseases Unit at the Northern General Hospital, Edinburgh in six patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the early clinical trials of ibuprofen 600–900 mg/day only a few subjects had evidence of faecal occult blood and this was much lower than observed in patients who received anti-inflammatory doses of aspirin. The Boots Company initially applied to the UK Department of Health and Social Security, in August 1978 to have ibuprofen, on the basis of its safety record, allowed for non-prescription sale for the treatment of muscular and rheumatic pain, fever and backache with a unit dose of 200 mg and a maximum daily dose in adults of 1200 mg.
