Sections
Home
Editorial
Main Article
Questions to...
A Company Profile
"Pearl of the Web"
Glossary
Resources
Index of Issues
Main Article
Collection of links
Company Profile
Degradable Solutions AG
"Pearl of the Web"
Biomat.net
Biomaterials
Swiss Society for Biomaterials
European Society for Biomaterials
International Union of Societies for Biomaterials
Science and Enginering (IUS-BSE)
8th World Biomaterials Congress
 |
Questions To Dr Kurt RuffieuxThe principle of these questions is to give the opportunity to someone active in the fields of biomaterials and tissue regeneration / engineering to express some of his views. The offered answers may go well beyond the strict limits of the company or the institution where this person is active. Dr Ruffieux (right) and Dr Fabrice Maspero examining a RootReplica ® , which received the Swiss Technology Award 2004 (Source: www.rootreplica.com) |
The first personality who accepted to answer these questions is Dr Kurt Ruffieux, the founder of Degradable Solutions AG in Zurich, a company specializing in the development of biomaterials based on degradable polymers. ( see A Company Profile).
| Question 1 : Dr Ruffieux, how, when and why did you create Degradable Solutions ? |
| Degradable Solutions AG was founded in 1999 with the goal to create innovative degradable implants. The main motivation was that I was approached by dentists from the University of Zurich to help them create a wound treatment therapy for alveolar sockets after tooth extraction. The need for such a therapy was clearly given but sceptisicm that it could be done was great. Since no existing dental company was willing to invest in such a venture, we started our own company. |
Question 2 : What is the market for degradable polymers in Switzerland and in the world, in terms of size and of potential for development ? |
| When we talk about innovative degradable implants, development costs and time are mostly significant. Thus, we must aim to create products that will be sold world wide. For bone augmentation products, the world market has a size of over CHF 1 Billion, for tissue fixation in orthopedics, the market is at ca. CHF 100 Mio.. In dentistry |
| Question 3 : Your company received recently two distinctions: the Top Ten of the most innovative products last year at the International Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne, and the Swiss Technology Award 2004. What is their meaning for you personally and for your company? |
| These awards are very important for the company as well as for the employees. The awards demonstrate that we are developing interesting innovative new products and technologies. After a long development period it is motivating for every employee to see that their work is rewarded. |
| Question 4 : What is at the moment the proportion of efforts devoted in your company to the marketing of your products and to the development of new products and new ideas? |
| The proportion is currently shifting. We started as a pure development company. Now, we have signed our first important distribution contract for our dental products with a global dental company. We will support our products continously by investing in scientific marketing to build up more and more evidence of the functionality and of the advantages of our products. |
| Question 5 : How do you see the future of your company ? In widening the sale areas for your existing products ? or in developing new technologies, as you have done partly with your new CO 2 technology to fabricate porous degradable polymers ? |
Currently we have two focuses: bringing our dental products to the patient as fast as possible and building up a strategy to apply our technology to orthopedic products. We want to leverage our technology. The orthopedic market offers tremendous business oportunities. Currently we are approaching investors with our ortho-strategy. |
| Question 6 : What are the major difficulties which a company of the size of Degradable Solutions is facing today? |
One of the major difficulties is to find the investments needed to build up such a company. Creating implants is cost intensive and usually, sales will start slowly until the surgeons and dentists feel sure with the application of these new materials and products. Talking and presenting to investors takes up much time, which I would rather like to invest into promoting the products. But it is clear, as investor you want to understand what the company does and what the potentials and risks of the investments will be. |
| Question 7 : What do you think about the present conditions in Switzerland for developing new concepts or new technologies? |
The conditions are quite good. The Swiss National Commission for Technology and Innovation, CTI, is a strong tool to push innovations. Furthermore, a direct contact with university institutes is often possible and fruitful. Unfortunately, there is no real center for biomaterials development at university level, anymore. |
| Question 8 : Many small companies are bought by larger groups, especially when they start to become profitable. What is your opinion on this trend ? Is it something you may be exposed to ? What is your philosophy on this matter ? |
Development and especially marketing for medical implants is cost intensive. One valable business model is to live as a small niche player with an exclusive product. If you want to grow, high investments are needed which are often given by larger companies working in the same field. These companies understand the value of your work and if sales can be genereted soon, they often are interested in investing. However, independence is then lost. But a cooperation with or integration into a larger company usually also offers a great chance for smaller companies to widen the applicability of their technology. |
| Question 9 : What do you like best, in life in general ? |
| The possibility to create. At DS, we have the chance to respond to needs of patients and to work on new therapies offering better clinical results. The greatest reward is to get a mail, where a patient, a surgeon or dentist tells us that he thinks that our products are great. |
| Question 10 : What do you dislike the most ? |
| (Laughing) Where do you want me to start? Well, as an optimist I try to find the best in every situation. Thus, I do have problems with pessimists. |
Dr Ruffieux, I thank you for your patience in answering my questions.
Dr Kurt Ruffieux
Short CV
Kurt RUFFIEUX
Switzerland
Born December 1965
Education
2004 Diploma of Management of Small and Medium Size Enterprises at University of St-Gallen, Switzerland
1997 Dr. sc. tech. of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zurich)
1992 Master of Mechanical Engineering of ETH Zürich
1985 Matura Typus C, Collège St-Michel, Fribourg
1984 High School Diploma, Oakdale High School, California, U.S.A.
Professional activities
1999- Founder and General Manager of Degradable Solutions AG, Development and Production of Degradable Implants for Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthopedics and Dentistry.
1994 - 2001 Senior research assistant at Chair for Biocompatible Materials Research at ETH Zürich. Resonsible for: Research and education in biodegradable polymers for medical and ecological applications
1992 - 1994 Scientific research assistant at ETH Zurich