Called PolyAspirin, this plastic pill consists of about 100 individual molecules of aspirin that are strung together in a chain to form an elastic compound - also known as a polymer. Aspirin, which is used in the treatment and prevention of anything from headaches to heart attacks, could be made less invasive in its new form. It is said that PolyAspirin could eliminate stomach irritation and other side effects of using aspirin. It is believed this is the first time that a polymer has been used as a drug itself - although others have used polymers as carrier molecules to deliver drugs and housed drugs within polymer capsules in the past. Professor Uhrich expects human clinical trials to begin within two years.
New uses continue to be discovered for aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid.
In the past, aspirin was taken mainly to manage pain caused by headaches and arthritis. Now, this versatile drug is used to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. And some researchers believe that it might be able to help prevent cancer and Alzheimer's disease as well. For all of its benefits, aspirin does has a downside. It breaks down into its active ingredient, salicylic acid, once inside the stomach.