The tale of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) begins in 1899, one hundred twenty years ago, when aspirin was first put into the market. Being regarded as the turning point in the history of medicine and pharmacy, this event initiated a rapid and effective analgesic therapy accessible to millions of patients with various medical conditions worldwide that have found relief in aspirin use. Simultaneously, the modern pharmaceutical industry was booming. As presented in this article, the story of one of the most common drugs in the world abounds in major scientific discoveries on the aetiology of pain and inflammation, and shows a fascinating evolution of analgesic and anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy leading from willow bark to pharmacologically-advanced selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. In the first part of the article, the Authors covered aspects of pain therapy from ancient times to the 1960s.

Keywords: pain, inflammation, cyclooxygenase, NSAID, acetylsalicylic acid.