Heyden

Chemische Fabrik von Heyden was a pioneering German pharmaceutical and chemical company founded in 1874 by Friedrich von Heyden. The company is historically significant for being the first to industrially synthesize salicylic acid, the precursor to aspirin, using the Kolbe-Schmitt reaction. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became a major global producer of synthetic drugs, preservatives, and disinfectants. Its legacy includes the development of various antiseptic agents and early sulfonamides. After several decades of independence and international expansion, the company was eventually integrated into larger conglomerates, with its pharmaceutical divisions becoming part of Degussa and later Evonik and Bristol Myers Squibb.