Company

CIS PHARMA AG

Discovery is our business

PIPELINE

DISCOVERY PRECLINICAL PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III APPROVAL LAUNCH

Cefuroxime, launched in Europe »

Contact lens care, launched in Switzerland »

Connected eye-drop dispenser, prototyping »

Contact lens coating technology, feasibility »

anti-L1CAM-radionuclide conjugate, pre-clinical »

CISNB2501-radionuclide conjugate, discovery »

RNAi delivery, discovery »

Biomaterials, 3D printing, discovery »

WHO WE ARE – MEET OUR TEAM

CHRISTOPH SCHÄFER

CHRISTOPH SCHÄFER, MBA, CEO - Christoph has created innovative products in various roles in the Life Science industry. He has over twenty years of experience in developing new therapeutics, medical devices and beauty products, from ideation to approval. Christoph has also launched new products as sales representative and as product manager, in Europe and USA.
CHRISTIAN GERATHS

DR. CHRISTIAN GERATHS, PHD, CSO - Christian has been trained in Biochemistry & Biotechnology. He is an expert in the development of drug delivery systems & smart bio-hybrid materials.
HANS HITZ

DR. HANS HITZ, PHD, PRESIDENT - Hans is the driving scientific force in the synthesis of drugs and drug delivery technologies. As an executive he has been leading international contract manufacturing organizations and has developed novel syntheses both on lab as well as on commercial scale.
DORIS SCHÄFER

DR. DORIS SCHÄFER, PHD, CFO - Doris is an entrepreneur and a scientist. She is managing all financial aspects of CIS Pharma’s development portfolio and the real estate business. She was successfully driving the growth of the Science Campus in Bubendorf.
LIESELOTTE & WERNER SCHÄFER

LIESELOTTE AND WERNER SCHÄFER, THE FOUNDERS - CIS Pharma was brought to life by Lieselotte and Werner Schäfer in 1952. They established their own chemistry laboratory in Basel, Switzerland. Labor Schäfer is the foundation of what is known as CIS Pharma today.
ROLF SCHÄFER

DR. ROLF SCHÄFER, PHD, BOARD MEMBER - Rolf is a serial entrepreneur and has developed drugs generating over $1bn sales. He is a specialist in drug development and drug manufacturing.

INNOVATION AWARD

„We were awarded with the European Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for our unique smart polymer technology“, says Christoph Schäfer, CEO of CIS Pharma.

“Our proprietary polymers are based on amino-acids exhibiting superior biocompatibility, resolving issues with conventional medical-grade polymers for bio-medical use. The polymers can be loaded with drugs for target-specific release, improving the quality of patient care and addressing unmet medical needs. With its intelligent properties, the poylmers are finding strong prospects in various applications.”

„The most noticeable factor is the control over chemical and physical properties“, explains Mukherjee of Frost and Sullivan. „With such intelligent functionality, the polymer platform opens a wide range of applications for drug delivery, bio-medical implants and replacements.“

OUR HISTORY STARTS IN 1952

1950 - 1975

First generation – pioneer in surfactant chemistry

CIS Pharma was brought to life by Lieselotte and Werner Schäfer in 1952. They establish a chemistry laboratory in their home in Basel, building the foundation of what is known as CIS Pharma AG today. Prior to this, Werner worked for Hoechst (Sanofi) where he synthesized penicillin. Werner’s innovations in the field of surface active compounds result in known products, such as the laundry detergent REI. His innovative chemistry makes him a technology leader in the surfactant industry. Among many sophisticated applications of his surfactants in the metal industry, his technology is used by NASA in 1969 to protect the surface of the lunar landing shuttle. In 1973, Werner Schäfer incorporates Chemisches Institut Schäfer AG, known as CIS Pharma AG today.
1975 - 2000

Second generation – development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals

In 1978, Doris Schäfer, Rolf Schäfer and Hans Hitz join Werner, after academic careers at Max-Planck, Rockefeller & Salk Institute. They perform contract R&D and license technology to global health care organizations, among them Alcon. The team develops one of the core strengths of CIS Pharma AG, the synthesis and scale-up of molecules for Ophthalmology. New technologies are also developed for the cosmetic industry. In 1983, Amcis AG is incorporated as a spin-off from CIS Pharma. The collaboration with Alcon drives the growth of CIS Pharma: in 1987, CIS Pharma expands its facilities by moving from Basel to the current campus in Bubendorf. In 1996, a new Amcis cGMP production facility is built to exclusively manufacture APIs for Alcon.
2000 - today

Third generation – proprietary drug delivery technology

In 2000, the Amcis operations are divested and the focus of CIS Pharma shifts. Resources are allocated to develop proprietary technology. In 2003, Christoph Schäfer joins CIS Pharma after working in marketing and sales in the life science industry. In the same year, new facilities on the campus in Bubendorf are inaugurated, also serving as the home of Carbogen-Amcis. In 2005, CIS Pharma commences research on the next generation biomedical polymers, today called Cellophil Smart Polymers. In 2011, CIS Pharma is awarded the European Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for its unique Cellophil® Smart Polymer technology. In 2013, Christian Geraths is appointed as the new CSO and development is expanded into Oncology.