STADA Arzneimittel

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STADA Arzneimittel AG

Type	Public ISIN: 0007251803
Founded	Dresden, 1895
Headquarters	Bad Vilbel, Germany
Industry	Pharmaceuticals
Products	generic drugs over-the-counter drugs
Revenue	€1.245 billion (2006)
Employees	5,442 (2006)

STADA Arzneimittel AG is a pharmaceutical company based in Bad Vilbel, Germany which specializes in the production of generic and over-the-counter drugs. In 2006, revenue totaled €1.245 billion.

Commonly known products produced by STADA are STADA-brand acetaminophen and lactulose, Grippostad-C cold medicine and Ladival sun protection products.

[edit] History

STADA was founded in Dresden in 1895 as a cooperative pharmacy. STADA is an acronym for Standardarzneimittel Deutscher Apotheker (Standard German Pharmacists). After World War II, the company was relocated to Essen and Tübingen. In 1956 it was moved again to Bad Vilbes and in 1970, STADA began trading on the stock exchange as a public company. At that time the shares were restricted to pharmacists as restrictedly transferable registered shares. Five years later, STADA entered the generic drug market. In 1986 STADA expanded internationally, buying companies in Switzerland and Austria. Soon after, it acquired foreign branches in the Netherlands and Belgium (1991), and then Asia (1992). In 1996 it acquired Aliud Pharma, expanding its reach into the French and Czech generic drugs markets. In 2001, the company began trading on the MDAX index. By 2006, it had made acquisitions in Denmark, Spain, Italy, Britain, Russia, Serbia, Portugal, and parts of Asia.