The oldest Upjohn product still being made by Pfizer in 2020
is Gelfoam. The medical needs of World War II drove the
development of it. The first product release was in 1945 and
by
1950 there were 10 different Gelfoam products offered as
shown below in the extract from a 1950 product listing. The
example of a Gelfoam Size 12 product below has labeling
typical to the late 1940s and 1950s. On the label there is a
stock number of 1-609-500. That tells us that this batch of
product was for a government contract, probably for use in
military hospitals. The third photo below shows the making
of a Gelfoam Santa in 1954.
Gelfoam has been made in the same location in Building 41
for the last 70 years.