Nordic Life Science 1
– Large in Life Science BASEL Small in Size The n
orthwestern corner of Switzerland offers a unique life science ecosystem, with a great mix of startups and global big pharma in close by. T E X T B Y MA L I N O T MA N I T HE BASEL AREA, located by the Rhine River at a point where France, Germany, and Switzerland converge, has a long and interesting history of life sciences. For over 500 years the pharmaceutical and chemical industries have emerged and flourished here and the region has become well-known for chemical products, big pharma, and its skilled workforce. For example, the region is famous for synthesizing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for the first time (by chemist Albert Hofmann at Sandoz in 54 | NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 1943), the first HIV protease inhibitor (developed by Roche), and Letrozole in cancer therapy (developed by Novartis). “From the strong guild of pharmacists in the late Middle Ages, and the humanistic anatomists and printers who spread medical and pharmaceutical knowledge from the city, to religious refugees, innovative personalities, and later industrialists from France who came to the region, this has been a place of continuous development,” describes Deborah Strub, Member of the Management Board at Basel Chamber of Commerce and Head of Department Cluster & Initiatives, EUROPE // SWITZERLAND