Buckingham firm Vitalograph’s 60 years pioneering respiratory respite

A family run medical devices company from Buckingham has this week celebrated 60 years of success.

Formed by husband and wife team Dietmar and Margaret Garbe in 1963, Vitalograph went on to become a global leader in respiratory diagnostics and now employs 470 people worldwide.

It still operates from its original home in Maids Moreton and ‘has never wavered in its mission to improve the lives of people living with lung conditions’. From its base at Maids Moreton House on the Vitalograph Business Park, the firm develops and manufactures respiratory diagnostic solutions, and also provides clinical drug trial services that enable the development of life-changing therapies.

Reflecting on Vitalograph’s extraordinary 60-year journey, chairman Bernard said: “Vitalograph’s goal has always been to empower healthcare professionals to give the best possible care to people living with respiratory conditions. We have a strong focus on research and development and our portfolio of products has evolved over the past 60 years to deliver ever more specific information about lung health. Our significant contribution to this area of healthcare is a source of immense pride to all the team in Maids Moreton and beyond.”

From the invention of the first office spirometer to assess coalminers’ lungs in the UK to the development of advanced lab-based PFT solutions for healthcare facilities all over the world, Vitalograph is a name that is immediately recognised for its commitment to innovation and quality. To mark its 60th anniversary, Vitalograph planted a Holm Oak tree on Tuesday as a symbol of its strong roots in the Maids Moreton community and to re-enforce its commitment to sustainable business practices throughout the company.

It has been an extraordinary year for Vitalograph, with the launch of the VitaloPFT Series, which offers innovative lab-based, as well as portable, pulmonary function testing solutions. In recent years, the company has collaborated with internationally acclaimed experts at The University of Manchester to develop a system that monitors chronic cough. This is the world’s first commercially available system that objectively measures cough frequency in investigational drug trials.

This system, VitaloJAK, has been transformative in enabling pharmaceutical companies to research new therapies for cough, an area that has a significant unmet need. With a workforce of 470 in four locations around the world, Vitalograph is overseen by CEO Frank Keane, who is based at the company’s Irish operation in Ennis, County Clare.

Speaking of Vitalograph’s ongoing contribution to respiratory healthcare innovation, Frank said: “Our success is a direct result of the passion of the people that work here and it is evident in everything we do - from pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved by respiratory testing technology to developing sustainable business practices that create new standards in our industry.”

Vitalograph was originally the name of a product within an existing family business. The company expanded into clinical trial services in 2000, under the leadership of the founders’ sons Bernard and Marcus.

For more information visit www.vitalograph.com