Little is known about the beginnings of the "Goldene Apotheke Basel" (GABA), which was founded in 1638 as one of the first pharmacies in Europe. The first milestone arrived 200 years later, when, during a serious influenza epidemic in Basel in 1846, the company launched the manufacture of cold tablets. The Basel doctor Emanuel Wybert had brought the recipe for a cough medicine back from a study trip across America in 1846, and on the basis of his formula, Gaba produced the rhomboid-shaped Wybert pastilles, which met great success during influenza epidemics. In 1906, industrial manufacture of Wybert pastilles began and from 1917 they were commercially marketed. From 1944, Gaba specialised in the field of oral care and launched aronal toothpaste containing vitamin A in Switzerland. Its orange 'sister', elmex anti-caries toothpaste, was introduced in 1962. The long-established company did not remain in Swiss ownership: in December 2003, Colgate-Palmolive purchased Gaba Basel for about a billion Swiss francs. The Gaba brand, however, was retained and still exists today.
Little is known about the beginnings of the "Goldene Apotheke Basel" (GABA), which was founded in 1638 as one of the first pharmacies in Europe. The first milestone ...
arrived 200 years later, when, during a serious influenza epidemic in Basel in 1846, the company launched the manufacture of cold tablets. The Basel doctor Emanuel Wybert had brought the recipe for a cough medicine back from a study trip across America in 1846, and on the basis of his formula, Gaba produced the rhomboid-shaped Wybert pastilles, which met great success during influenza epidemics. In 1906, industrial manufacture of Wybert pastilles began and from 1917 they were commercially marketed. From 1944, Gaba specialised in the field of oral care and launched aronal toothpaste containing vitamin A in Switzerland. Its orange 'sister', elmex anti-caries toothpaste, was introduced in 1962. The long-established company did not remain in Swiss ownership: in December 2003, Colgate-Palmolive purchased Gaba Basel for about a billion Swiss francs. The Gaba brand, however, was retained and still exists today.
