Table 1.

Selective overview of various therapeutic preparation types historically linked to the Swiss market. Although not considered as cell therapies, the listed preparation types all revolved around the use of specific tissues, biological extracts, immunoglobulins, or serum-based components. Therein, product specificity constituted a cornerstone of most therapeutic principles, despite technological or formulation differences. APIs, active pharmaceutical ingredients; SPE, sheep placental extract.

Preparation Type/Name	Technical Description	Therapeutic Rationale, Examples, and Known Swiss Manufacturers
Sheep placental extracts (SPEs)	Processed ovine placenta (by hydrolysis or mechanical separation) for obtention of complex protein extract solutions.	Use of ovine starting material enables facilitated access to perinatal tissues, which have extensive history of use in Western and Asian medicine. Such extracts are used for protective and immunomodulatory effects in various product categories. No therapeutic SPE preparations have been approved in Switzerland, yet unlicensed use has been documented in several private practices for mesotherapy (or as probable substitutes for original “living cell therapy”) [33,46].
Placental isotherapy	Formulation of patient-specific placental tissues into appropriate homeopathic preparations.	Placental isotherapy was commonly used until recently in Switzerland for various postpartum affections. Following medical prescription, thorough safety testing, and pharmaceutical magistral preparation, these products were dispensed to specific patients. Such preparations were notably available in Switzerland from Serolab SA.
Serocytol®	Equine immunobiologic products. Specific porcine tissues were transplanted to immunize horses, and the collected equine immunoglobulins were used to treat corresponding tissue-specific human affections.	The use of tissue-specific equine immunoglobulins was widely adopted in Switzerland since the 1930s, when Dr. Jean Thomas elaborated and democratized the practice of serocytotherapy. Specific porcine organs and tissues were transplanted in horses to generate immunoglobulins, which were then used as APIs in human medicine to treat affections of the corresponding organs and tissues. Several dozen pharmaceutical preparations (for oral, injectable, or rectal administration) based on this therapeutic principle were registered as therapeutic products in Switzerland by Serolab SA until 2020 [2,3].
Actovegin®	Deproteinized calf serum extract, in semisolid or liquid preparations.	Actovegin® or equivalent products are highly used in injection form for circulatory affections and within professional athletic circles, for promotion of tissular repair and performance amelioration [47,48]. Actovegin® is a registered therapeutic product, owned by the global Switzerland-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.
GM-1	Sialic-acid-containing glycosphingolipids, extracted and purified from mammalian nervous tissue.	Several neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties of GM-1 have been investigated, demonstrating potential roles and applications in neurodegenerative conditions. GM-1 has been produced by the global Switzerland-based TRB Chemedica SA. A similar preparation known under the appellation “Gricertine” was commercially available in Swiss pharmacies in the 1980s, that was presented as a central nervous system stimulant or protector, based on research around specific brain phospholipids [49].
Uro-Vaxom® and Broncho-Vaxom®	Immunotherapy products containing complex bacterial cell lysates, formulated in dry oral form.	Such registered therapeutic products are used in the prevention of recurrent urinary or respiratory tract infections, respectively. They stimulate the immune system against potential pathogens [50,51]. These therapeutic products are registered and manufactured in Switzerland by OM Pharma SA.