Our History
The Swiss MedTech company Geistlich has been family-owned since 1851 and has developed from a bone and tissue specialist into an internationally sought-after expert in the field of regenerative medicine. The history in four stages:
1851: It all starts with glue
As early as 1851, the family business was processing the raw materials that still characterize the company today in its Zurich factory: Bones and hides. Glue is first produced in the city of Zurich and later in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich. Fertilizer is later added to the natural glue. The DNA of Geistlich’s current business came about from this and developed from the processing of bone and tissue.
1940: The door to the pharmaceutical industry is opened
During the Second World War, Geistlich's nutritional supplement alleviates bone loss among the suffering population. In the 1950s, Geistlich expands abroad for the first time: the company establishes its first affiliates in Great Britain (Geistlich Sons Ltd.) and in Germany. Further products are added to the product range. Pharmaceutical products introduced at that time, such as Taurolin® and the medical device TauroSept®, are still part of Geistlich's product range today.
1980: Dr. Peter Geistlich as a pioneer of regenerative biomaterials
Dr. Peter Geistlich, Chairman of the Board of Directors, lays the foundation for today's company. He cooperated with international researchers, in particular with Prof. Dr. Philip Boyne from Loma Linda University in California. His pioneering work in bone regeneration led to the bone replacement material Geistlich Bio-Oss®. As a pioneer, he developed a market for regenerative dentistry in the 1980s that today has global dimensions. He also launches Geistlich Orthoss®, the bone replacement material for use in orthopaedic bone defects. In the 1990s, further pioneering products are launched on the market: Geistlich Bio-Gide®, a collagen membrane for dentistry, and Chondro-Gide®, a collagen matrix for the the regeneration of cartilage defects.
Today: from pioneer to leading global expert in regenerative medicine
Geistlich's pioneering role as the creator and shaper of a new business field pays off. To this day, the company sets the bar in regenerative dentistry, in which it has been a world leader for decades. The expertise of the Swiss MedTech company is constantly expanding. Thanks to scientific evidence, Geistlich is also making inroads into other areas of application in orthopaedics and medicine.
A Life for Science
Until his death in 2014, Dr. Peter Geistlich guided the fortunes of Geistlich Pharma as Chairman of the Board of Directors. His foresight and values continue to shape the company to this day.
In the 1980s, Dr. Peter Geistlich had the vision of enabling natural bone and tissue regeneration by investing in regenerative biomaterials.
A developing network of expertise
Dr. Peter Geistlich created a new business area within the Geistlich Group and heralded a new era. His name still vouches for the quality of Geistlich products. There is no doubt that his philosophy and pioneering spirit still shape the company today. He did pioneering work in the area of bone regeneration in cooperation with international researchers, in particular Prof. Dr. Philip J. Boyne from Loma Linda University in California. One of his many achievements is to have been the first to free bone material from organic components, while preserving the natural microstructure and bone composition. In so doing, he laid the foundation stone for the development of the bone substitute Geistlich Bio-Oss®.
The pioneer
Dr. Peter Geistlich then developed the natural collagen membrane Geistlich Bio-Gide®, which enables a simple surgical procedure thanks to its good wound-healing properties and fundamentally changed bone regeneration treatment. Since the days of Dr. Peter Geistlich, the company has continued the approach of science-based development in cooperation with universities and clinical practitioners, for both existing products and all new developments.
Practice and science combined
In 2003, Dr. Peter Geistlich founded the Osteology Foundation together with Geistlich Pharma AG. This promoted teaching and research, and brought science and practice in the field of bone and soft tissue regeneration closer together. In 2013, Dr. Peter Geistlich and Geistlich Pharma launched the Osteo Science Foundation based in the US. Its declared goal is to support independent basic and applied research and enable new therapeutic approaches and clinical treatment methods in regenerative dentistry. The aim is to promote and share newly acquired knowledge. In that spirit Dr. Andreas Geistlich and Geistlich Pharma founded the ON Foundation in 2018 in the area of orthoregeneration.
The three foundations which Geistlich helped found:
