In this occasional series we record the views and personal experience of people who have especially contributed to the evolution of ideas and practice in the journal's field of interest. Ove Fernö is the father of nicotine replacement therapy. He first conceived the idea of nicotine replacement as a strategy to help smokers stop in 1967 then researched and developed the idea until the first product licence was received in 1978 in Switzerland. Ove Fernö was born in Göteborg, Sweden in 1916, studied at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm from 1936–40, and worked for the pharmaceutical company, Aktiebolaget Leo of Helsingborg in Southern Sweden, from 1941–81. He was Director of Research and Development from 1946–1961, Vice President of Research and Development from 1961–1973, and Executive Vice President from 1973 until his retireme