WOUND CLOSURE
B.Braun - ground-breaking innovations & entrepreneurial responsibility since 1839.
B.Braun is a German company - one of the world’s largest medical & pharmaceutical device companies, specializing in solutions related to infusion therapy, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, anaesthesia, diabetes care, wound management, clinical nutrition, infection prevention, surgical technologies to name a few. Have 5,000+ different healthcare products, 95% are manufactured by the company. Developing high quality systems and services that are evolving and progressive – the goal to improving people’s health around the world. It is still owned by Braun family.
In 1839, (1) Julius Wilhelm Braun then 31-year-old bought the “Rose Pharmacy” in Melsungen, which was then a small spa town in central Germany. His vision was turn it into something bigger. Began with natural, soothing herbal remedies, however expansion was required when he developed ‘mail order’ service for delivery. He was curious & courageous, passing on these characteristics on to his children.
Julius could not have foreseen the growth in his modest enterprise. Six generations - would develop into a global company with subsidiaries on every continent.
(2) Bernhard Braun, his eldest son was looking for solutions, driven by innovative ideas. Headaches were a painful nuisance as were skinned knees, his solution was migraine sticks & band aids …. the start of pharmaceutical production.
The production of CATGUT was B. Braun’s first step on the road to the large-scale manufacturing of medical products, which were supplied to Hospitals.
Everyone is familiar with sutures in wound closure procedure, however guaranteeing sterility posed a problem until beginning of 20th century.
(3)Carl Braun, a grandson, met Dr. Franz Kuhn, (Surgeon from Kassel) - frustrated by problems of wounds becoming infected after closure, told Carl his idea for sterile, absorbable suture material. A revolutionary idea back then and it was also absorbable.
In 1908, for the first time ever - sterile suture material was produced and sold.
This was one milestone, there were many more throughout the coming generations, under the leadership of(4) Otto Braun and his son (5) Ludwig Georg Braun
1935, SYNTHOFIL - the non-absorbable synthetic suture material was successfully launched, followed by SUPRAMID - nylon-based suture material.
In 1958, whilst developing plastics for pharmaceutical and medical uses – developed the first plastic container for IV fluids.
In 1960’s, came HISTOACRYL - tissue adhesive for the closure of skin wounds, MONOSYN - synthetic absorbable suture material made of glyconate.
The company continued to develop dynamically, pursued a course of strong international expansion - which currently has more than 63,000 employees globally, offices and production facilities in 64 countries
Since 2019, (6) Anna Maria Braun (Ludwig’s daughter) is CEO. New, revolutionary procedures are still being developed through the exchange of ideas between scientific research and clinical practice, The challenges have changed, however the desire to develop medical advances that improve patients’ lives and innovations in medical therapies remains constant. Despite this enormous growth, B.Braun will remain an autonomous, family-run company.
