Blast From the Past
Photos from the Roche Archives beautifully illustrate the industry’s past
As mentioned here, the Editor of The Medicine Maker, Stephanie Sutton, recently visited the Roche Archives in Basel. Roche was founded on October 1, 1896 by Fritz Hoffman-La Roche, who believed that the industrial manufacture of medicine would significantly help to fight disease. He was also keenly interested in the idea of branded pharmaceutical products. The company has been storing documents, photos, medicines, equipment and other items ever since it was founded. We thought you might enjoy some of the photos from her visit…
Airol powder wound disinfectant (one of the first products launched by Roche). Initially it was not a success, although today Airol is used to help treat acne.
Digalen heart tonic – in a heart-shaped bottle – launched in 1904 and was considered a key medical innovation at the time.
Shelves showing a plethora of awards, items and equipment.
Sirolin, a non-prescription cough medicine launched in 1898, remained on the market for over 60 years – this was the first big success for the company.
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