More than 100 years of history
Sintetica SA - the oldest pharmaceutical company in Ticino.
1918-1920
Spanish flu
Arturo Ruffoni, the founder of Sintetica, was born in Chiasso in 1884. Arturo's mother-in-law, Carolina Fontana, died in 1919 due to the "Spanish Flu" epidemic. For this reason, the Ruffoni-Fontana family decided to give Sintetica the purpose of fighting deadly outbreaks such as the "Spanish Flu" and relieving the pain of sick people.
1921
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The company was conceived to meet patients' needs when drugs (especially life-saving ones) were either in short supply or did not exist.
Canton Ticino was a land of agriculture, there were no cities, and it was isolated from the rest of Switzerland. Its relations with Italy were sporadic and hardly existed with the rest of the world. And yet, in Chiasso, an engineer named Arturo Ruffoni set up a factory to make chemical products to exploit an original chemical synthesis of arsenobenzol, a product used to treat syphilis. Thus, Sintetica was born, the first chemical-pharmaceutical plant in Canton Ticino.
Sintetica SA was founded
1923
Launch of Sintharsan
Sintharsan is launched, an arsenobenzol used to treat syphilis. Up to that point, the only manufacturer of arsenobenzol had been the German Hoechst.
1934
New Factory on Via Soave, Chiasso
A new factory is built on Via Soave in Chiasso. The staff includes 40 workers, 4 of whom are women, rather exceptional for those times.
1937
First formulation of Adrenaline
The first formulation of Adrenaline is launched, a catecholamine with a vasoconstrictor effect. This drug is still listed among the products manufactured by Sintetica today.
1947
New Factory on Via Fontana, Chiasso
Another factory is built in Chiasso, this one on Via Fontana and designed by Alberto Camezind, a leading architect in contemporary Ticino architecture.
1954
Launch of Rapidocaine
Rapidocaine is launched, a local anaesthetic with a Lidocaine base. This product marks the company's entrance into the locoregional anaesthesiology sector, for which Sintetica still maintains a leading position in the Swiss market.
1959
Acquisition by Dr Antonetto
Sintetica is sold to Carlo Antonetto, owner of Antonetto Spa in Turin and producer of "Digestivo Antonetto", famous in Italy. Sintetica produced the digestive aid for several years.
1982
Transfer to Mendrisio
Sintetica moves to its current location on Via Penate, Mendrisio, still the company headquarters today.
1987
Acquisition by Bracco Pharmaceuticals
Sintetica is sold to Bracco Pharmaceuticals Spa, a leading Italian producer of contrast media for radiology. Bracco hopes to make Sintetica its European R&D centre, but the project is abandoned.
1990
First formulation of Noradrenaline
The first formulation of Noradrenaline is launched, a vasoconstrictor used as an emergency life-saving drug against hypotonia.
1997
First registration of a product outside of Switzerland
First registration of a Sintetica product abroad. Noradrenaline in South Korea is the first in a long series of foreign registrations.
2002
Acquisition by two private entrepreneurs
Bracco Pharmaceuticals sells Sintetica to two private entrepreneurs, Mario Bonomi and Luca Bolzani, who significantly thrust Sintetica's globalization strategy.
2005
Acquisition of Bioren SA, Couvet
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The company name becomes Sintetica-Bioren SA, the second manufacturing plant in Switzerland. Augusto Mitidieri is appointed as CEO of Sintetica, and Luca Bolzani is President of the Board.
2009
Launch of Takipril®
September 2009 marks the first approval of Takipril® in Europe, a patented formulation of hyperbaric Prilocaine for spinal administration in short duration surgeries.
2011
New HQ in Mendrisio
A new headquarters is built on Via Penate to a design by the Martinelli and Rossi firm in Mendrisio. The location houses the new production lines and the company's Head Office. Sintetica receives its first approval from the American FDA.
2012
Launch of Ampres®
Ampres® was granted approval in Europe. It is the first and only Chloroprocaine based local anaesthetic approved for spinal administration, with very short half-life suitable for ultra short and short procedures due to a favourable evolution of the anaesthetic block with a very low incidence of side effects. This approval has a strongly increased value, due to the declaration of Chloroprocaine as a novel chemical entity in Europe. Ampres® is based on a complete dossier, ranging from cell and animal toxicity, to clinical research on human beings, obviously going through pharmaceutical development.
2013
Acquisition of Meduna GmbH
Sintetica acquires Meduna GmbH and establishes Sintetica GmbH, its first foreign subsidiary in Germany, to directly serve the German and Austrian markets.
2016
Sintetica is growing
Sintetica GmbH moves to a new location in Münster, Westphalia. Sintetica corporation passes the mark of 300 collaborators.
2019
Acquisition by ARDIAN
The French private equity fund Ardian enters Sintetica's capital with a majority stockholding. An investment plan of sixty million Francs over four years is confirmed.
2021
A hundred years
Sintetica celebrates its centenary year.
2014-2022
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This revamping, made up of an impressive series of investments, is the result of a great deal of ensemble work that has led to the construction of an entirely new facility, including offices and laboratories, with a potential equal to that of Mendrisio.
Revamping Couvet Site
2022
Sintetica US - New Entity
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A further important step in the company's growth in international markets through the quality of its products and the reliability of its services. With the establishment of Sintetica US, the company will be able to focus equally on B2B and B2C markets in the US.
2023
New FDA approval
The Couvet Plant is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This important milestone opens the door to direct sales of top-quality drugs on the American market.
