
Fresenius
1462
Opening of the Hirsch Pharmacy
The Hirsch Pharmacy opens in Frankfurt am Main. The Fresenius family assumes ownership in the 19th century.
Fresenius
1912
Founding of the company
The pharmacist Dr. Eduard Fresenius, proprietor of the Hirsch Pharmacy, establishes the pharmaceutical company Dr. E. Fresenius. He expands the pharmacy laboratory into a small manufacturing operation. Its main products are pharmaceutical specialties such as injection solutions, serologic reagents and Bormelin nasal ointment.
Fresenius
1933
Production in Bad Homburg
The manufacturing company is separated from the Hirsch Pharmacy and moves to Bad Homburg, just outside of Frankfurt. Dr. Fresenius devotes more and more time to the company, which grows to around 400 employees.
Fresenius
1946
Founder Eduard Fresenius dies
The unexpected death of Eduard Fresenius endangers the further existence of the pharmacy and manufacturing company, which now has only 40 employees.
Fresenius
1952
Else Kröner takes over
Else Fernau (later Else Kröner (*1925; †1988)), the foster daughter of Eduard Fresenius, assumes responsibility for the pharmacy and company after obtaining her degree in pharmacy studies.

Fresenius
1955
Expansion of infusion solutions
The infusion solutions product range is expanded.
Fresenius
1966
Dialysis machines
Fresenius starts to sell dialysis machines and dialyzers manufactured by various foreign companies and gains substantial market shares.
Fresenius
1974
St. Wendel plant
Fresenius begins manufacturing infusion solutions and medical disposables in St. Wendel, in Germany's Saarland region. Today, Fresenius Medical Care produces highly innovative polysulfone dialyzers in the St. Wendel plant.
Fresenius
1979
Schweinfurt plant
Production of the A2008 dialysis machine begins in a newly acquired factory in Schweinfurt. The machine is awarded a gold medal at the Leipzig Trade Fair that year.

Fresenius
1982
Joint stock company
The company is converted into a joint stock company. The Supervisory Board is headed by Else Kröner.
Fresenius
1983
Polysulfone fiber membrane
Fresenius begins producing synthetic polysulfone fiber membranes for blood purification. These membranes still set the quality standards for dialyzers today.

Fresenius
1986
Stock market flotation
Fresenius launches preference shares on the Frankfurt stock exchange.

Fresenius
1990
Sales surpass one billion marks
Fresenius employs 5,200 people; total sales exceed 1 billion deutsche marks.

Fresenius Vamed
1994
Entry into project business
With the acquisition of Hospitalia International, Fresenius enters the project business for developing hospitals and other healthcare facilities.Two years later, Fresenius acquires a majority stake in the hospital services provider VAMED AG.
Fresenius Medical Care
1996
Founding of Fresenius Medical Care
In 1996, the merger of Fresenius' dialysis business with the U.S. dialysis provider National Medical Care resulted in the creation of Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading dialysis provider. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges.
Fresenius
1997
Friedberg plant
Fresenius opens a highly modern production plant for infusion solutions in Friedberg, just north of Frankfurt.
Consolidated sales amount to approximately 7.5 billion deutsche marks.

Fresenius
1998
New headquarters in Bad Homburg
Fresenius moves into new headquarters in Bad Homburg. The company has nearly 39,000 employees worldwide.
Fresenius Kabi
1999
Founding of Fresenius Kabi
After acquiring the international nutrition business of Pharmacia & Upjohn the year before, Fresenius merges it with Fresenius Pharma to form a new company: Fresenius Kabi. Fresenius Kabi becomes the European leader in nutrition and infusion therapy, with subsidiaries and distributors worldwide.
At Fresenius Medical Care, the 100,000th dialysis machine comes off the production line.

Fresenius
2001
Acquisition of Wittgensteiner Kliniken
Fresenius acquires Wittgensteiner Kliniken AG, one of the major nationwide operators of private hospitals in Germany.
Fresenius, a health care group with worldwide operations and over 60,000 employees, achieves sales of around 7.3 billion euros.

Fresenius Medical Care
2003
50 million dialyzers a year
With an output of more than 50 million dialyzers per year, Fresenius Medical Care sets a new record.

Fresenius Helios
2005
Acquisition of Helios
Fresenius acquires Helios, one of the top three private hospital operators in Germany.

Fresenius Medical Care
2006
Acquisition of Renal Care Group
Fresenius Medical Care takes over U.S. dialysis care provider Renal Care Group. Through its network of approximately 2,000 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 157,000 patients around the globe.

Fresenius
2007
Fresenius becomes a European company
Fresenius is converted into a European company (Societas Europaea, or SE). This allows Fresenius to act as a legal entity anywhere inside the European Union.
Fresenius Kabi
2008
Expansion of I.V. generics
Fresenius Kabi strengthens its business with intravenously administered generic drugs (I.V. generics) and expands into oncology drugs with the acquisition of the Indian company Dabur Pharma.
Fresenius Kabi enters the North American pharmaceuticals market, and becomes a globally leading company in the field of I.V. generics through the acquisition of the U.S.-based APP Pharmaceuticals.

Fresenius
2009
Fresenius joins the DAX
Fresenius SE's preferred shares are admitted into the DAX, which already includes Fresenius Medical Care shares.

Fresenius
2011
Share conversion and change of legal form
Conversion of all preference shares into ordinary shares in combination with a change of the company's legal form into a partnership limited by shares – Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (KGaA). Fresenius SE becomes Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA.
Fresenius
2012
Fresenius turns 100
As Fresenius turns 100, the company is active in some 100 countries and has more than 160,000 employees.
Fresenius Medical Care produces the 500,000th dialysis machine.

Fresenius Medical Care
2013
One billion dialyzers produced
Fresenius Medical Care produces its 1,000,000,000th dialyzer.
Fresenius Helios
2014
Acquisition of 41 Rhön hospitals
Fresenius Helios completes the acquisition of 41 hospitals and 13 outpatient facilities from Rhön-Klinikum AG. Fresenius Helios now owns 111 hospitals in Germany and is Europe's largest private hospital operator.
Fresenius also passes the milestone of 200,000 employees.

Fresenius Helios
2017
Acquisition of Quirónsalud
Fresenius Helios acquires Quirónsalud, Spain’s largest private hospital operator.
Fresenius Kabi
2019
First Biosimilar
Fresenius Kabi launches its first biosimilar Idacio®. Biosimilars are drugs that are highly similar to other approved biologic drugs.
Fresenius Medical Care acquires NxStage Medical, Inc. NxStage develops, produces and markets an innovative product portfolio of medical devices for use in home dialysis and critical care.

Fresenius
2023
Fresenius with new strategy and clear focus
The Operating Companies Fresenius Kabi and Fresenius Helios are at the center of the Group’s ambitions under #FutureFresenius. They are both geared for significant value creation and catering to system-critical areas of healthcare.
The company deconsolidates Fresenius Medical Care by changing Fresenius Medical Care’s legal form to a German Stock Corporation (“Aktiengesellschaft”).
Video
100 years of Fresenius
Fresenius has been working for over 100 years to improve the lives of seriously ill people around the world. This film, made on the occasion of the company's Centennial in 2012, tells the company's history through the stories of people who have been helped and are still being helped by Fresenius.
Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, announced publication of its 2021 Global Annual Medical Report. Titled “Embracing the Complexity of Global Healthcare,” the report focuses on addressing healthcare complexities by driving meaningful advances in kidney disease care.
“The volume of thought leadership, ideas and expertise in the report demonstrates our company’s continued leadership in kidney care, our innovation through lifelong learning and our commitment to our patient-centered mission,” said Franklin W. Maddux, MD, Global Chief Medical Officer of Fresenius Medical Care.
The 2021 Global Annual Medical Report comprises 25 chapters by more than 40 authors from across the company. Six different sections each focus on a core theme of Fresenius Medical Care’s Clinical & Quality Agenda. An additional COVID-19 section is dedicated to the company’s ongoing efforts to address the pandemic.
The core themes are:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Precision Medicine
- Communication and Medical Education
- Global Research
- Patient-Centered Care
- Innovation and Transformation
The 2021 Global Annual Medical Report is published by the Global Medical Office of Fresenius Medical Care. The full report is now available online at: https://www.freseniusmedicalcare.com/en/about-us/sustainability/medical-responsibility/
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 AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.
Berenberg & Goldman Sachs – 10th German Corporate Conference
Baader Investment Conference 2021
Bank of America – Global Healthcare Conference
The price increase for hospital services in Germany has been set at 2.29% for 2022. As it is subject to negotiations at the state level as well as individual hospital discounts, the final price increase on the individual hospital level will, however, be lower.
The price increase for hospital services in Germany has been set at 2.29% for 2022. As it is subject to negotiations at the state level as well as individual hospital discounts, the final price increase on the individual hospital level will, however, be lower.
Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The company, founded in 1996 when Fresenius merged its dialysis business with the U.S.-based dialysis services provider National Medical Care, now has more than 120,000 employees, operates approximately 4,100 dialysis clinics in more than 65 countries and treats about 345,000 patients. Over the past 25 years the number of patients treated in company dialysis clinics has risen more than six-fold. The production of dialysis filters (dialyzers) has increased ten-fold.
Rice Powell, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care: “Fresenius Medical Care was founded 25 years ago with the aim of continuously improving the quality of life of our patients by offering them high-quality products as well as innovative technologies and treatment concepts. We will continue to pursue these goals in the future. As the global market leader in dialysis therapies and dialysis products, we are taking every opportunity to develop further, from digitization to the development of entirely new treatment options.”
The roots of this success story go back to 1960, when Fresenius began importing dialysis machines and dialyzers from various foreign companies and distributing them in Germany, gaining a substantial market share. In 1979 the company launched its own dialysis machine, the A2008, which set a quality standard and became the world’s top seller. This role as market leader grew with the introduction of successor models from Fresenius Medical Care. Today, nearly every second dialysis machine sold worldwide is made by Fresenius Medical Care. In the early 1980s the company developed the first polysulfone dialysis filters, opening up a new era in the treatment of kidney disease. Polysulfone dialyzers are particularly effective at cleaning the patient’s blood and still set the industry standard to this day. Fresenius Medical Care has, to date, manufactured more than two billion dialyzers.
Success in dialysis products ultimately paved the way for the entry into dialysis services. In 1996, Fresenius acquired National Medical Care and combined it with its own dialysis business, a move that marked the birth of Fresenius Medical Care. That same year, the fledgling company was listed on the Frankfurt and New York exchanges that year. In 1999, Fresenius Medical Care shares gained a listing in Germany’s benchmark index, the DAX.
Since its founding, Fresenius Medical Care has been the world’s leading provider of products and services for people with renal disease. The company has steadily strengthened this position as it consistently set new milestones: In 1999, the number of dialysis machines made at company’s Schweinfurt, Germany, plant reached the 100,000 mark. In 2003, the company set two “firsts” by treating more than 100,000 patients and producing more than 50 million dialyzers that year. Total dialyzers produced reached the 500-million mark in 2007 and rose to one billion by 2013. The year before, dialysis device number 500,000 came off the Fresenius Medical Care assembly line in Schweinfurt.
Fresenius Medical Care is constantly improving dialysis technology and introducing new, innovative treatment concepts. In 2016, it launched the latest generation in hemodialysis machines, the 6008, which optimizes dialysis treatment and delivers it even more economically. In 2019, Fresenius Medical Care launched the 4008A dialysis machine developed specially to meet the needs of developing countries. The device offers Fresenius Medical Care’s highest treatment standard while keeping the cost to national health systems as low as possible.
Strong growth at Fresenius Medical Care has time and again been accompanied by large, strategic acquisitions: In 2006, the company acquired Renal Care Group, the third-largest operator of dialysis centers in the United States. That was followed, in 2011, by the purchase of Liberty Dialysis, another major U.S. dialysis center operator. With the acquisition of Euromedic that same year, Fresenius Medical Care significantly expanded its presence in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2019, the company expanded its presence in home dialysis with the acquisition of NxStage, which offered patients even more therapy options. By 2020, 12 percent of Fresenius Medical Care patients received their dialysis treatments at home.
The company expects strong growth will continue in the future. Until 2025 the company expects compounded annual growth rates in the mid-single-digit percentage range for revenue and in the high-single-digit percentage range for net income. Fresenius Medical Care believes that what until now has been very fragmented treatment of chronic kidney disease patients should be much more closely integrated through the entire course of the disease. To accomplish this, the company wants to make more effective use of core competencies in the areas of innovative products, ambulatory facilities operation, standardization of medical procedures and patient coordination.
Fresenius Medical Care has compiled a wide range of information and materials on its 25th anniversary on a special web page:
https://www.freseniusmedicalcare.com/en/25-years/
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 AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.
Helios Germany has published its second sustainability report. The 60 pages report "Strong into the future" looks back on the complex challenges of the Corona year 2020 and shows in which areas the pandemic has driven developments for Germany’s largest private hospital operator. Helios Germany has defined four fields for its sustainability strategy: Patients, employees, the environment and compliance. Like the first report in 2019, it was drawn up based on the GRI standards of the Global Reporting Initiative and is now available in German on www.helios-gesundheit.de/nachhaltigkeit. An English version will be published soon.