Articaine is a dental local anesthetic. It is the most widely used local anesthetic in a number of European countries and is available in many countries around the world.
This drug was first synthesized by Rusching in 1969, and brought to the market in Germany by Hoechst AG

Hoechst AG

Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...

, a life-sciences German company, under the brand name Ultracain. This drug was originally referred to as "carticaine" until 1984.

In 1983 it was brought into the North American market, to Canada, under the name Ultracaine for dental use, manufactured in Germany and distributed by Hoechst-Marion-Roussel.