Ben Venue Laboratories – A History of Innovation
Ben Venue Laboratories is a healthcare pioneer. Ben Venue Laboratories was one of the first companies in the world to use freeze-drying technology to make medicines affordable, transportable and storable and was a leader in the large-scale production of life-saving blood plasma during World War II.
Established in 1938, Ben Venue Laboratories is the sterile injectables manufacturing arm of Bedford Laboratories, a Boehringer Ingelheim company. Bedford Laboratories is one of the largest generic injectable pharmaceutical companies in the United States, offering a broad range of multisource injectables across multiple therapeutic classes.
Read the timeline below to learn more about how Ben Venue Laboratories delivers Value through Innovation.
Our History
1938
Ben Venue Laboratories founded by R. Templeton Smith as a Pennsylvannia Corporation. The first local laboratory was located on Carnegie Avenue in Cleveland and was run by Dr. D. Roy McCullagh. The first product produced was estrogen, a hormone extracted from the urine and blood of pregnant mares.
1941
Ben Venue Laboratories relocated to Bedford, Ohio just outside of Cleveland on Northfield Road. Participated in a program to produce sterile freeze-dried blood plasma for the U.S. Army to treat soldiers in combat situations. This project represented one of the first commercial applications of lyophilization (freeze drying) in the United States and contributed to the saving of numerous military personnel.
1943
Ben Venue Laboratories received the first U.S. Army-Navy “E” award for excellence from the U.S. military.
1943 - 1945
Ben Venue Laboratories operated a penicillin production plant as part of an effort to bring this new antibiotic to the world.
1945
Developed and produced the first clinical trial materials for Bacitracin, a new antibiotic. Later licensed to a larger company, Bacitracin continues to be sold today.
1950 - 1960
Ben Venue Laboratories evolved into a major contract developer and manufacturer of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals.
1967
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded Ben Venue its first of many development and manufacturing contracts for innovative new oncology products. Ben Venue maintained a long-term relationship with the NCI for more than 40 years.
1960 - 1970's
Expanded original facility and added warehouse capacity to meet growing business requirements
1980's
Continued facility expansions that doubled prior capacity.
1994
Bedford Laboratories division founded. Marketer of multi-source injectable generic products. Bedford Laboratories is one of the largest suppliers of injectables to the U.S. hospital market.
1997
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, purchased Ben Venue Laboratories, Inc.
2004
Expanded production capacity with addition of Phase IV facility. Added significant lyophilization and sterile liquid filling capacity to meet growing demand requirements.
2008
Constructed Quality and Development Center (QDC). Building houses Ben Venue's development facilities, pilot plant and consolidates all of the company's quality operations in one modern facility. Building is "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) silver certified for its sustainable and environmentally friendly design.
2011
Manufacturing facilities focused on Bedford Laboratories multi-source injectables business. Ben Venue Laboratories announced its phased exit from the Contract Manufacturing Services business at this location.
