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snake

Turning nature into
life-saving solutions™

At Pentapharm, we are dedicated to advancing treatments for coagulation disorders and hemostasis.We supply pharmaceutical companies with premium-quality Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and support diagnostics companies with high-performance reagents, kits, and biochemicals—driving innovation and reliability in every product we deliver.

Pentapharm was founded in 1948 by Viktor Stürm and Dr. Edmund Percs, and is headquartered in Aesch, just outside Basel, Switzerland. The company began with a strong focus on research, development, and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, primarily through extraction from natural sources. Over time, Pentapharm expanded its expertise beyond pharmaceuticals to include hemostasis diagnostics and the cosmetics industry. In 2007, the company became part of DSM Nutritional Products following its acquisition by DSM. As of May 2025, Pentapharm AG is once again an independent, fully-fledged company, now backed by private equity. Pentapharm is widely recognized for its premium-quality products, state-of-the-art quality systems, and unwavering commitment to innovation and technological excellence across all areas of operation.

Company timeline

Development of peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing

1948: Foundation

Development of peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing

First pharma product from snake venom Reptilase

1954: First product

First pharma product from snake venom Reptilase®

Peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing

1960: Development

Peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing

Start of cosmetics and medical collagen product development

1970: Cosmetics

Start of cosmetics and medical collagen product development

Opening of the snake farm in Uberlandia

1980: Snake farm

Opening of the snake farm in Uberlandia

Development of diagnostic kits: Pefakit

1990: Diagnostic kits

Development of diagnostic kits: Pefakit®

Launch of Pefakit Activated Protein C- Resistance (APC-R) reagent kit to support early detection and diagnosis of Factor V Leiden mutation

2003: Reagents kit

Launch of Pefakit Activated Protein C- Resistance (APC-R) reagent kit to support early detection and diagnosis of Factor V Leiden mutation

Acquisition of Pentapharm by DSM Nutritional Products

2007: DSM

Acquisition of Pentapharm by DSM Nutritional Products

Transfer of cosmetic business to DSM Personal Care

2010: DSM Personal care

Transfer of cosmetic business to DSM Personal Care

Pentapharm receives its first IVDR certificate and MDSAP certificates

2020: Certifications

Pentapharm receives its first IVDR certificate and MDSAP certificates

PENTAPHARM_SYMBOL_COLOUR

2025: Pentapharm AG

Divestment of Pentapharm AG by DSM-Firmenich

Company timeline

1948
Foundation
Development of peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing
Development of peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing
1954
First product
First pharma product from snake venom Reptilase
First pharma product from snake venom Reptilase®
1960
Development
Peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing
Peptides and snake venom enzymes for coagulation testing
1970
Cosmetics
Start of cosmetics and medical collagen product development
Start of cosmetics and medical collagen product development
1980
Snake farm
Opening of the snake farm in Uberlandia
Opening of the snake farm in Uberlandia
1990
Diagnostic kits
Development of diagnostic kits: Pefakit
Development of diagnostic kits: Pefakit®
2003
Reagents kit
Launch of Pefakit Activated Protein C- Resistance (APC-R) reagent kit to support early detection and diagnosis of Factor V Leiden mutation
Launch of Pefakit Activated Protein C- Resistance (APC-R) reagent kit to support early detection and diagnosis of Factor V Leiden mutation
2007
DSM
Acquisition of Pentapharm by DSM Nutritional Products
Acquisition of Pentapharm by DSM Nutritional Products
2010
DSM Personal care
Transfer of cosmetic business to DSM Personal Care
Transfer of cosmetic business to DSM Personal Care
2020
Certifications
Pentapharm receives its first IVDR certificate and MDSAP certificates
Pentapharm receives its first IVDR certificate and MDSAP certificates
2025
Pentapharm AG
PENTAPHARM_SYMBOL_COLOUR
Divestment of Pentapharm AG by DSM-Firmenich

Leadership team

Khadija (4)

General Manager

Oliver Helmers

Khadija (5)

Chief Business Officer & Head of R&D

Khadija Schwach-Abdellaoui

Antonio (1)

Head Finance/IT & HR

Antonio Carlucci

Stefan (4)

Head QM & RA

Stefan Niesel

Jan (1)

Head Manufacturing

Jan Gubler

Stefan (2)

Head Engineering

Marcel Merz

Diagnostics team

Marina

Senior Key Account Manager Diagnostics EMEA

Marina D'Enza

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

Charles

Marketing & Sales Manager Diagnostics USA & EMEA

Charles Delany

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

Paul

Senior Marketing & Sales Manager Diagnostics USA

Paul Salley

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

Clark

Senior Technical Sales Manager Diagnostics

Clark Feng

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

world map

Pharma team

Khadija (5)

Chief Business Officer & Head of R&D

Khadija Schwach-Abdellaoui

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

Roy

Technical Sales Director Pharma Asia

Roy Ma

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

Cosmetics team

Khadija (5)

Chief Business Officer & Head of R&D

Khadija Schwach-Abdellaoui

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48

Michael Janssen

Global Strategic Account Manager

Michael Janssen

pentapharm@pentapharm.com

+41 61 706 48 48