A Blue Plaque in recognition of the work during the 1980s by The Boots Company PLC formerly at this site, on the development of ibuprofen. BioCity, Nottingham.
"Ibuprofen is a medication in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) class that is used for treating pain, fever, and inflammation. This includes painful menstrual periods, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis. About 60% of people improve with any given NSAID, and it is recommended that if one does not work then another should be tried. It may also be used to close a patent ductus arteriosus in a premature baby. It can be used by mouth or intravenously. It typically begins working within an hour.
Common side effects include heartburn and a rash. Compared to other NSAIDs it may have fewer side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding. It increases the risk of heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure. At low doses, it does not appear to increase the risk of heart attack; however, at higher doses it may. Ibuprofen can also result in worsened asthma. While it is unclear if it is safe in early pregnancy, it appears to be harmful in later pregnancy and therefore is not recommended. Like other NSAIDs, it works by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins by decreasing the activity of the enzyme cyclooxygenase. Ibuprofen might be a weaker anti-inflammatory than other NSAIDs.
Ibuprofen was discovered in 1961 by Stewart Adams and John Nicholson and marketed as Brufen."
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"Back in the 1950s, Boots scientists realised they had invented something groundbreaking: a painkiller that could be used in the treatment of a range of conditions from rheumatoid arthritis and muscle aches to mild headaches and menstrual pain. The painkiller became known as Ibuprofen.
The invention of Ibuprofen arose out of a Boots study to treat rheumatoid arthritis before evolving into a drug to relieve a range of conditions.
Dr Stewart Adams was the project leader on the team which made the amazing discovery.
"We were convinced, on the basis of all the work we had done, that Ibuprofen would be both safe and effective," he recalls.
From the start, Dr Adams had set out to find a drug that would be better tolerated than aspirin - the main painkiller on the market at that time. However, it needed to possess similar capacities to reduce pain and inflammation.
Dr Adams began his work in a living room of a Victorian house on the outskirts of Nottingham - Boots' research department having been partially destroyed during World War Two bombing raids.
He and a technician meticulously calculated the compounds that would form the drug before they were joined by an organic chemist - Dr John Nicholson - who made them.
Ibuprofen was launched on to the market in 1969, with an over-the-counter version available from 1983. In 1987, Dr Adams received the OBE for his services to the drugs industry.
Dr Adams - now in his 80s - spent his life working at Boots, starting as a 16-year-old apprentice in store before taking a degree in pharmacy at Nottingham University, followed by a PhD at Leeds.
After the invention of Ibuprofen, he had the chance to move to a number of different companies. However, he chose to see out his career with Boots."
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The plaque reads -
National Chemical Landmark
ibuprofen
In recognition of the pioneering research
work, here on Pennyfoot Street, by Dr Stewart Adams and Dr John Nicholson
in the Research Department of Boots
which led to the discovery of
ibuprofen used by millions
worldwide for the relief
of pain.
21 November 2013