The History of Benadryl

Benadryl was invented by George Rieveschl, PhD in the early 1940s. Rieveschl was working as a chemistry professor at the University of Cincinnati, his alma mater, when he discovered that a two-part compound he’d originally been testing to improve muscle-relaxing medications dramatically blocked histamine. This breakthrough led to the creation of Benadryl, the first FDA-approved prescription antihistamine, in 1946. It was originally produced by Parke, Davis and Company and was available by prescription only. Today, the drug is available over-the-counter and is distributed by Pfizer. It is considered one of the leading antihistamines on the market and is widely available at drugstores, big-box stores, and grocery stores.