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- Since its founding in 1974, the plant has developed into one of the world's largest production and export sites for dialyzers
- St. Wendel is a development site for new products and production processes, making it one of the most important technology centers of the Fresenius Medical Care AG
- More than 1,000 patents have been registered at the St. Wendel site over the past 50 years
- The St. Wendel plant makes Fresenius Medical Care one of the largest employers in the region
St. Wendel (July 11, 2024) Fresenius Medical Care (FME), the world's leading provider of products and services for people with kidney diseases, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its operations in St. Wendel, Saarland, tomorrow. Since its founding in 1974, the main plant for dialyzer production has developed into one of the world's largest production and export sites for dialyzers. Dialyzers are the core component of renal replacement therapy. St. Wendel is also a key development site for new products and innovative production processes, making it one of the most important technology centers of the globally operating Fresenius Medical Care AG.
"The St. Wendel site has developed into a leading center of innovation and quality in dialyzer manufacturing," says Dr. Katarzyna Mazur-Hofsäß, Member of the Management Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG and responsible for the Care Enablement segment, the MedTech division of FME. "It is the outstanding spirit of innovation that has made St. Wendel what it is today and has helped make dialysis treatment more effective and accessible for patients worldwide."
At the St. Wendel site, Fresenius Medical Care develops and produces life-saving products for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney failure. This includes hemodialysis with dialyzers and dialysis solutions, as well as peritoneal dialysis (abdominal dialysis) with associated solution bag systems and consumables.
In the early 1980s, a research team achieved a breakthrough in the field of renal replacement therapy with the development of a polysulfone dialysis membrane, which today sets the medical quality standard. Dialyzers with a synthetic polysulfone membrane are distinguished by their particularly good cleaning performance and blood compatibility. This marked the beginning of a new era in the treatment of patients with chronic kidney failure.
In addition, PVC-free Biofine® films and tubes for dialysis solutions are developed and produced in St. Wendel. The special feature of this material, which was developed in St. Wendel in the 1990s, is that it contains no plasticizers, making it healthier and more compatible for patients and the environment.
"Our site is equipped with the most advanced and efficient manufacturing technologies, which we use for the production of single-use products in dialysis treatment," says Gerhard Breith, Plant Manager of St. Wendel. "St. Wendel thus makes a significant contribution to higher quality patient care in dialysis treatment. We owe our success to the exceptional dedication of our employees."
Since its founding, more than 1,000 patents have been registered at this site. "This demonstrates the developmental strength of the site," says Breith. Innovations "Made in St. Wendel" are passed on to numerous subsidiaries, joint ventures, and other licensees. Another impressive milestone is that in November 2023, the 1 billionth dialyzer was produced in St. Wendel.
Production capacities in St. Wendel have been expanded many times over the past decades. Today, FME employs around 1,800 people at the site, making it one of the largest employers in the region.
About Fresenius Medical Care:
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which around 4.1 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment. Through its network of 3,862 dialysis clinics, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for approx. 325,000 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or dialyzers. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange (FMS).
Disclaimer:
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, legal changes, regulatory approvals, impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic results of clinical studies, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.