Every graduate of NJMS this May received a gift from Edward Petrus: a copy of his book about aspirin called Aspirin, The Golden Pill. This board-certified ophthalmologist who received training in neurology lives in Austin, TX, chose aspirin because it’s the most popular drug in the world. “There are about 29,000 research and medical articles on aspirin but I felt there was a need for a concise review of the uses and consideration for taking aspirin,” he explains. Petrus is more than a physician-author, however. This doctor invented and patented Fasprin, a low-dose aspirin tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth, gets into the bloodstream within five minutes and avoids irritation to the stomach. “Rapid absorption is important when you are having a heart attack or stroke,” he says. Long-term use of aspirin may double the chance of living a healthy life into your 90s, according to Petrus. “When you swallow an aspirin tablet, it sits in the rugae of the stomach, causing ulcerations and possible bleeding. All swallowed tablets are absorbed by the liver with only about half the drug reaching circulation. I am currently working on other analgesics to be orally absorbed.”

Petrus, who founded Advanced Medical Instruments and Nobel Laboratories, holds 13 patents and will soon be awarded a 14th. His inventions and products are as varied as topical ibuprofen cream, insect repellent, sun screen and a computer-generated program that determines an individual’s dietary supplement profile. “I file patent and trademark applications and prosecute them myself,” he says.After graduating from NJMS and completing an internship in San Francisco, Petrus became a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Later, his residency in ophthalmology took him to Temple, TX. “I was in private practice in Texas for years and taught laser surgery until my retirement which was when I started developing medical products. As an ophthalmologist, I had the honor of operating on my grandmother and aunt for cataract surgery.” Feel free to get in touch: DRPETRUS@NOBELLABS.COM