Pharmacia

Pharmacia was a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in Sweden and a pioneer in the field of gel filtration. The company was especially known by the brand name Sephadex.

History

Pharmacia was founded in 1911 by pharmacist Gustav Felix Grönfeldt in Stockholm. The company name comes from the Greek word pharmakeia φαρμακεία, which means medical.

In the early days the majority of the profit was achieved with the means Phospho- energon. During the Second World War, the Swedish chemist Björn Ingelman, an assistant to Arne Tiselius, studied at the University of Uppsala various applications of dextran. Together with Anders Grönwall he discovered the possibility to use dextran as a blood plasma substitute, which was an important development, especially in times of war. The CEO of Eli Goeth the then small company Pharmacia showed great interest in the discovery. Five years later, a dextran solution was introduced as a product with Macrodex. Dextran - based products played a very important role in the further expansion of Pharmacia from now.

In 1951, the headquarters were moved to Uppsala, to be closer to the cooperation partners. At the same time Ingelman was research director. In 1959, Pharmacia was a pioneer in the field of gel filtration with Sephadex. Was formed in 1967 its subsidiary Pharmacia Fine Chemicals, Uppsala, which renamed itself in 1986 Pharmacia Biotech. In the 1990s, then was followed by the merger of Pharmacia Kabi Vitrum to Kabi Pharmacia with. Kabi was later spun off again in 1995 and replaced by Upjohn. New Headquarters was London. Pharmacia counted in 1996 with 4,000 employees and is one of the largest private employers in Uppsala.

The Biotechnology Division Pharmacia Biotech merged in 1997 with the Amersham Life Science, and took the name of Amersham Pharmacia Biotech. As Pharmacia & Upjohn sold their shares in the company from Amersham Pharmacia Biotech at Amersham, the company named in 2001 by Amersham Biosciences. After Pharmacia & Upjohn 1999 had sold its food business to Fresenius, Pharmacia & Upjohn merged in 2000 with Monsanto Company to Pharmacia Corporation. The original Stockholm part of Pharmacia in 2001 came into the possession of the company Biovitrum, which in turn in 2002 sold its plasma products business to Octapharma. The agro- chemical division under the name Monsanto has also been sold again in 2002, but was maintained for the pharmaceutical department of the company Searle. In July 2002, Pharmacia Corporation was acquired by Pfizer.

GE Healthcare, in 2004 the former subsidiary Amersham Biosciences. However, the Life Science division of GE Healthcare retained her seat in Uppsala. Also located in Uppsala allergy diagnosis department of Pharmacia was sold in 2004 as Pharmacia Diagnostics. Later in the year, which was founded in Uppsala ophthalmology department at Advanced Medical Optics was sold. The Indian company acquired Kemwell 2006, the remains of Pharmacia, Uppsala. On 16 January 2006, Pharmacia Diagnostic renamed in Phadia. This was also the end of the brand Pharmacia.

The remaining part of Pharmacia in Stockholm was relocated to Belgium in 2008. The facilities Straengnaes in Sweden are currently in the production of Genotropin, a growth hormone, increases.