"We aim to push the boundaries of regenerative medicine”

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 30. April 2024

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Diego Gabathuler took the reins at Geistlich Pharma in December last year, succeeding Dr Ralf Halbach as CEO of the Swiss regenerative biomaterial specialist. During Gabathuler’s first few months in the role, the company announced that it would rescind plans for a prestigious new production facility, cut some 30 jobs in Switzerland and acquire the Brazilian dental implants company Bionnovation Biomedical—clear signs of a change in tack. In this interview, Gabathuler speaks about his priorities as CEO, the challenges currently facing the company and the importance of taking new approaches to innovation.

Mr Gabathuler, in the first 100 days of your leadership at Geistlich Pharma, what have been your primary focuses in aligning the company with its strategic plan for expansion in regenerative medicine?
The most important thing for me was to get to know as many of our global team members as possible and to start the dialogue with some of our customers to better understand their work and how we can support them. The next priority was to familiarise myself with our research and development pipeline, product portfolio and global markets. One of the key growth opportunities I see is in the emerging high-growth markets, where we intend to expand our product and solution offerings as well as our investments in go-to-market channels. It is our aim to deliver treatment solutions that are fully reliable, and we also want to make the work of our customers as easy as possible.

Given your significant experience in the medical technology industry, particularly at Ivoclar, how do you plan to leverage your expertise to foster innovation and development at Geistlich? Which specific areas within regenerative medicine do you believe hold the most potential for growth and impact?
I am a firm believer in continuous product development and in striving to improve delivery and handling as well as in reducing working steps and processing times. Convenience is key. Everything we do must be customer-centric and create value for different users. Our corporate culture plays a key role when it comes to innovation and speed of execution. We want to create a welcoming, demanding and stimulating environment that inspires new ideas and excellence in all we do. We strive to combine joy with success because that is the only sustainable way.

We have started to expand our understanding of innovation and to explore completely new approaches, and we continue to expand geographically into new markets. In addition to dental regeneration, we are also demonstrating strong growth and see potential for further developments in regenerative sports medicine.

“We have started to expand our understanding of innovation and to explore completely new approaches.”

Geistlich has been known for its contributions to bone, cartilage and tissue regeneration. Given the current trends and needs within the dental industry, how do you see the company evolving its product offerings and solutions to meet the future demands of dental professionals and patients?
We are committed to advancing medical regeneration technologies for the benefit of patients worldwide—this applies to all parts of the body. It should no longer be the case that the default option for treating damaged tissue and joints is to replace them; rather, they should be regenerated at an early stage using the body’s own natural healing processes, as can be facilitated with the help of our technologies. Like the clinicians who use our products, we want to free patients from pain and limitations and give them a new quality of life. This comes from our drive to be pioneers in all that we do, including product innovation, education and service.

How do you envisage integrating digital innovation into Geistlich’s regenerative medicine solutions to enhance outcomes for dental professionals and their patients?
Like many companies, we are currently working with artificial intelligence, particularly deep learning. We are exploring new ways of integrating digital tools into our regenerative solutions. Telemedicine, predictive analytics and virtual training are on our road map. Because the implementation of digitalisation and the use of new technologies play a key role, we have continued to invest significantly in our capabilities in recent years and will continue to do so.

Considering the challenges currently faced by the global economy and the healthcare industry—such as those highlighted in the recent news about Geistlich—how do you plan to navigate these difficulties and ensure the company remains at the forefront of regenerative medicine? What role do you see for Geistlich in shaping the future of dental care and improving patient outcomes worldwide?
Today’s challenges are unprecedented and require different thinking and new, creative approaches. Recent challenges have been the strong Swiss franc, high inflation and high market volatility. The only way to balance these is to increase our productivity through more efficient processes and tools in all areas of the business. The importance of our Swiss heritage and base remains unchanged and cannot be overstated. It is for this reason that we will continue to invest in our research and development facility and the manufacturing site in Wolhusen this year and in the years to come.

When it comes to the future of dentistry, I see many opportunities, particularly in three key areas: prevention, early detection and regeneration, and minimally invasive restorations. Digital solutions will play a key role in all three. As the range of treatment options expands, so does the complexity for the practitioner. Integrated solutions, remote services, and education and training will play a critical role in the successful use of our products. We do not just provide high-quality regenerative biomaterials; we partner with our customers and the scientific community. Together, we aim to push the boundaries of regenerative medicine and discover new solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.