Nycomed
Encyclopedia
Nycomed is a European pharmaceutical company
. Nycomed is privately owned primarily by the two private equity investors Nordic Capital
and CSFB Alternative Capital. Production is located in Norway
, Denmark
, Poland
, Austria
, Belgium
, Germany
, Estonia
India
, Mexico
, Brazil
and Argentina
. Head office is located in Zürich
, Switzerland
. Total revenue was €
3,400 million (2006) and the group had 12,000 employees.
in 1874, as an agent of foreign pharmaceutical products. The founder was pharmacist M.Nyegaard. The company name was Nyegaard & Co. from 1890 until 1986 when it was changed to Nycomed. In 1913 it started producing generic drug
s, among these Globoid (copy of Aspirin
). In 1969, the revolutionary radiocontrast
agent Amipaque was discovered, starting a long process of internationalisation. The next generation product Omnipaque made the company highly successful. In 1986, Nycomed was purchased by the power company Hafslund
. In 1994, the diagnostic division of US based Sterling Winthrop was acquired. Then, in 1996, the therapeutics division Nycomed Pharma was demerged
whilst the diagnostic division Nycomed Imaging was merged with the British
company Amersham plc
. In 1999, the therapeutics company was established under the name Nycomed as an independent company. In 2007, Nycomed took over the much larger German pharmaceutical company, Altana Pharma. This acquisition made Nycomed one of the world's 25 largest pharmaceutical companies. In 2007 Nycomed acquired American company Bradley pharmaceuticals
. A 2008 closing deal is expected in February.
Nycomed has pursued a strategy of licensing new medicines from research companies and introducing them to Europe. The company provides specialist/hospital products (e.g. Tachosil
) throughout Europe. General Practitioner and pharmacy medicines are also provided but in selected countries. Today the company is active throughout Europe and continues to expand into new markets.
In October 2008, Nycomed Canada Inc. was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers
" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's
newsmagazine. Later that month, Nycomed Canada was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers
, which was announced by the Toronto Star
newspaper.
On May 19, 2011, Takeda Pharmaceutical and Nycomed announced that Takeda will acquire Nycomed for €
9.6 billion. The acquisition was
completed by the end of September 2011.
safety assessment is the InnoMed PredTox.
Pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to deal in generic and/or brand medications and medical devices...
. Nycomed is privately owned primarily by the two private equity investors Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital
Nordic Capital is a private equity investment firm focusing on leveraged buyout transactions primarily in the Nordic region . Nordic invests across a broad array of industries and will invest in turnaround and growth capital transactions.Nordic is based in Stockholm, Sweden and was founded in 1989...
and CSFB Alternative Capital. Production is located in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Head office is located in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Total revenue was €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
3,400 million (2006) and the group had 12,000 employees.
History
The company was started in NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1874, as an agent of foreign pharmaceutical products. The founder was pharmacist M.Nyegaard. The company name was Nyegaard & Co. from 1890 until 1986 when it was changed to Nycomed. In 1913 it started producing generic drug
Generic drug
A generic drug is a drug defined as "a drug product that is comparable to brand/reference listed drug product in dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, and intended use." It has also been defined as a term referring to any drug marketed under its...
s, among these Globoid (copy of Aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
). In 1969, the revolutionary radiocontrast
Radiocontrast
Radiocontrast agents are a type of medical contrast medium used to improve the visibility of internal bodily structures in an X-ray based imaging techniques such as computed tomography or radiography...
agent Amipaque was discovered, starting a long process of internationalisation. The next generation product Omnipaque made the company highly successful. In 1986, Nycomed was purchased by the power company Hafslund
Hafslund ASA
Hafslund ASA is a Norwegian power company. The company owns the power grid and district heating in Oslo as well as nine hydroelectric power plants. Hafslund is the largest owner of power grids and the largest end-user seller of electricity in Norway. Hafslund also owns 11,5% of Renewable Energy...
. In 1994, the diagnostic division of US based Sterling Winthrop was acquired. Then, in 1996, the therapeutics division Nycomed Pharma was demerged
Demerger
Demerger is a form of corporate restructuring in which the an entity's business operations are segregated into one or more components. It is the converse of a merger or acquisition....
whilst the diagnostic division Nycomed Imaging was merged with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
company Amersham plc
Amersham plc
Amersham plc was a UK pharmaceutical company, specializing in medical diagnostics and life science products. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was purchased by General Electric; it is now part of GE Healthcare.-History:The company had...
. In 1999, the therapeutics company was established under the name Nycomed as an independent company. In 2007, Nycomed took over the much larger German pharmaceutical company, Altana Pharma. This acquisition made Nycomed one of the world's 25 largest pharmaceutical companies. In 2007 Nycomed acquired American company Bradley pharmaceuticals
Bradley Pharmaceuticals
Bradley Pharmaceuticals was a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey. The company was founded in 1985 by Daniel Glassman who was also its CEO....
. A 2008 closing deal is expected in February.
Nycomed has pursued a strategy of licensing new medicines from research companies and introducing them to Europe. The company provides specialist/hospital products (e.g. Tachosil
TachoSil
TachoSil is a collagen sponge coated with the human coagulation factors fibrinogen and thrombin. It is used during surgery to stop local bleeding on internal organs . The sponge is manufactured from horse tendons. TachoSil reacts upon contact with blood, other body fluids or saline to form a clot...
) throughout Europe. General Practitioner and pharmacy medicines are also provided but in selected countries. Today the company is active throughout Europe and continues to expand into new markets.
In October 2008, Nycomed Canada Inc. was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers
Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions and progressive human resources policies. Winners are...
" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
newsmagazine. Later that month, Nycomed Canada was also named one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers
Greater Toronto's Top Employers
Greater Toronto's Top Employers is an annual competition that recognizes the best places to work in the Greater Toronto Area...
, which was announced by the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
newspaper.
On May 19, 2011, Takeda Pharmaceutical and Nycomed announced that Takeda will acquire Nycomed for €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
9.6 billion. The acquisition was
completed by the end of September 2011.
Collaborative Research
In addition to internal research and development activities Nycomed is also involved in publicly funded collaborative research projects, with other industrial and academic partners. One example in the area of non-clinicalPre-clinical development
In drug development, pre-clinical development is a stage of research that begins before clinical trials can begin, and during which important feasibility, iterative testing and drug safety data is collected....
safety assessment is the InnoMed PredTox.