Placebo and Active Controlled Study to Compare the Antipyretic Efficacy of Aspirin® in Patients With Acute Febrile Upper Respiratory Tract Infections Suspected to be of Viral Origin

Inclusion Criteria: * Ambulatory male or female patients 18 to 65 years of age * Acute uncomplicated febrile URTI suspected to be of viral origin and present not more than 5 days * Symptoms of a viral URTI * Oral temperature \>/= 38.5 °C to \</= 40°C Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with physical findings consistent with the diagnosis of pneumonia, otitis media, bacterial sinusitis or any other bacterial infection of the respiratory tract requiring antibiotics or other therapeutic intervention by a physician * Current antibiotic treatment or pre-treatment with antibiotic agents during the last week * History or presence of asthma or hypersensitivity to ASA, salicylates, paracetamol, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; peptic ulceration or gastric bleeding; hemorrhagic diathesis; hepatic and/or renal dysfunction; Gilbert's disease; Quincke's edema * Any other acute or chronic disease which in the opinion f the investigator could interfere with the patient's health and well-being during the conduct of the study or which could interfere with the evaluation of data generated from this subject * Any conditions possibly interfering with the gastro-intestinal absorption of the study medication * Pregnant or lactating women. All women of childbearing age were to undergo a pregnancy test before start of the study