Behringwerke

Behringwerke was a German pharmaceutical company established in Berlin in the late 19th century by Emil von Behring, a pioneer of serum therapy who later received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901. The company specialized in producing antisera, vaccines, and other biological medicines, and became known for manufacturing the diphtheria antitoxin after Behring’s demonstrations of serum therapy in the 1890s. The Behringwerke facility grew into a major production site for biological medicines, contributing to the development and standardization of serum production.

The firm played a significant role in the early history of immunology and public health by commercially producing vaccines and therapeutics that helped control infectious diseases. Its operations helped advance methods for large-scale production, quality control, and the distribution of serum-based medicines in Germany and abroad.

In the postwar period, Behringwerke underwent corporate reorganizations. The Behring works were integrated into larger Germans pharmaceutical groups, and through subsequent mergers the Behring assets became part of Hoechst AG and, later, of Aventis. In the early 2000s, the Aventis Behring unit was incorporated into Sanofi Pasteur’s broader biologics business, and the standalone Behringwerke entity ceased to exist as an independent company. The Behringwerke name thus persists as a historical reference to the site and to Emil von Behring’s contributions.

The Behringwerke legacy is tied to the origins of modern serum therapy and vaccination, illustrating the transition of a pioneering research effort into a major industrial enterprise and its eventual integration into larger pharmaceutical groups.