Story of Silvanols
The Latvian green pharmaceuticals company Silvanols was created on 8 December 1994. Its founder is chemistry professor Ieva Leimane who named the new company in honour of a discovery made by August Ošiņš, a prominent Latvian chemist. Ieva Leimane’s work began with just one lab bench and an infinite desire to see the results of her work. Supported by the Institute of Wood Chemistry and her friends, she developed a unique water-soluble gel base, which was used in 1995 to create the first products by Silvanols: Osteogēls, Rinogēls un Trombogēls. The original base, with its soluble cellulose ether and gelatine, still has no true equivalent. It successfully combines the extracts of various medicinal plants and natural minerals and achieves excellent results. In 1997, all these products were registered in the Medicinal Product Register of Latvia, and thanks to their high effectiveness, the company could start growing on a larger scale, with enough funding to lease appropriate business and production premises, and to build up its equipment. The research and development expanded, too, with ideas for new drugs, medicinal balms and sprays based on extracts of Latvian medicinal plants, fruit juices and oils. The company later started making pills and capsules using dry extracts of medicinal plants and vitamins.
In almost 25 years, Silvanols has grown into a major green pharmaceuticals company with millions in revenue, European quality standards and more than 50 highly-qualified staff members. Silvanols’ product portfolio currently includes about 50 effective and safe products, which make it possible for the company to accomplish its original mission, to make products that preserve the beneficial qualities of natural medicinal plants as much as possible, and to provide people with the most valuable natural substances in order to improve their well-being and quality of life.
Origin of the name
The prominent Latvian chemist Augusts Ošiņš was born on 16th of April 1895. In 1928, he graduated from the University of Latvia, with a degree in Organic Chemistry, and specialising in Chemical Engineering. While he studied, he already worked as an assistant at the Analytical Chemistry Department and did research. In 1932, in an effort to implement his findings, A. Ošiņš built a turpentine factory in Mērsrags where he processed pine logs that had spent at least 25 years in the ground, grinding them up, treating them with steam and petrol, and producing turpentine, rosin and heavy oil. The workers at the factory noticed that the oil they made there was great for healing wounds, making breathing easier, and reducing cough. Serious research began to investigate this oil, involving Latvia’s major chemists and pharmacists, as well as their counterparts in France, Germany and USA. The structure of this substance and its pharmaceutical effect was studied using the progressive methods of the day. Its was found that the oil is effective for treating tuberculosis, and it has an anticancer effect. A. Ošiņš called this newly discovered oil Silvanols.
Although, in the eve of World War 2, there was interest in France and the US to buy patents and start manufacturing the oil, A. Ošiņs did not agree to those deals, believing the Silvanols should remain in Latvia, for the benefit of its people. Unfortunately, after the war, there was no Latvia and no Silvanols, and its creator was exiled to Siberia. In 1994, to commemorate this discovery and honour its creator, the new Silvanols emerged, a company that follows A. Ošiņš’ endeavour of using nature to take care of people and improve their health.