Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly used worldwide for pain relief and fever/inflammation reduction. It was discovered in the 1960s by Andrew Dunlop, who initially tested the drug on cures for hangovers. The drug was first made available via prescription in 1974 (United States) and soon became available as an over the counter drug purchasable at retail shops around the globe.
The synthetic procedure to synthesize ibuprofen was patented by the Boots Pure Drug Company in the 1960s. Their synthetic process involved several complicated steps that generated a considerable amount of chemical waste. Since the Boots method of synthesizing ibuprofen generated an enormous amount of waste when performed on the industry scale, alternative synthetic routes the drug have became of public interest.