10
1.3 A Century of Experience With Biotherapies
Great stories have an impressive beginning, and CSL
Behring’s story is no exception. The company traces its
roots back more than 100 years to 1901 when Emil von
Behring (Figure 2) won the first Nobel Prize in Physiology
and Medicine. Von Behring’s pioneering work on serum
therapies resulted inmodern-day vaccines that have virtually
eradicated certain major diseases such as diphtheria.
Figure 2 – Emil von Behring, Recipient of the
Nobel Prize
1990
1889
E. von Behring
and S. Kitasato
discover antibodies
that neutralize
bacterial toxins
1904
Von Behring founds
Behringwerke in
Marburg, Germany,
to produce antisera
and vaccines for
infectious diseases
1894
Von Behring
facilitates
production of
25,000 doses of
diphtheria antitoxin
for use in humans
1962
Behringwerke
produces the first
human intravenous
immunoglobulin
1970
First intravenous
immunoglobulin
launched in Japan
1981
ZLB pioneers high-dose
immunoglobulin
treatment for immune
thrombocytopenia.
Behringwerke introduces the first
plasma-derived product
(FVIII/vWF concentrate) with a
dedicated, effective virus
inactivation step (pasteurization)
1979
Behringwerke
introduces the first
C1-INH concentrate
in Germany
1955
Behringwerke
researchers discover,
purify, and characterize
alpha-1 antitrypsin
1916
Commonwealth
Serum Laboratories
(CSL) is founded in
Australia
1901
Von Behring
receives the
first Nobel Prize
for Physiology
and Medicine
1946
Behringwerke becomes
the first industrial
fractionator of human
plasma in Europe
1949
Zentrallaboratorium
Blutspendedienst
(ZLB Central Labora-
tory) established in
Bern, Switzerland, as a
department of the
Swiss Red Cross
1985
Behringwerke
introduces
pasteurization
and an additional
purification step
for its C1-INH
therapy
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950
1960
1970
1980
Figure 3 – Key Achievements and Milestones
for CSL Behring
