G. D. Searle

G. D. Searle & Company was a prominent American pharmaceutical company known for its significant contributions to medicine and food science. Founded in 1888, the company gained global recognition for developing the first oral contraceptive, Enovid, and the artificial sweetener NutraSweet (aspartame). Its pharmaceutical portfolio included blockbuster drugs such as the COX-2 inhibitor Celebrex and the antihypertensive Aldactone. Following its acquisition by Monsanto in 1985, the Searle brand eventually became part of Pharmacia and was ultimately integrated into Pfizer in 2003. Today, its legacy continues through the many essential medications it brought to market that remain in widespread use.