| Former type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pharmaceutical |
| Fate | Merged with Astra AB |
| Successor | AstraZeneca |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Defunct | 1999 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Products | Pharmaceutical products |
Zeneca Group PLC was a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Zeneca was formed in June 1993 by the demerger of the pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals businesses of Imperial Chemical Industries into a separate company listed on the London Stock Exchange.[1]
In 1999 Zeneca and the Sweden-based pharmaceutical company Astra AB merged to form AstraZeneca plc.[2][3]
Zeneca's largest therapeutic area was oncology, in which its key products included Casodex, Nolvadex and Zoladex.[4] Other key products included the heart drug Tenormin.[5]
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In December 1994 Zeneca agreed the acquisition of 50 per cent of Salick Health Care, an operator of cancer care centres in the United States, in a transaction which valued Salick at $440 million.[6] Zeneca announced the sale of its textile colours business to the German group BASF in May 1996.[7] Zeneca exercised its right to acquire the 50 per cent of Salick Health Care that it did not already own in March 1997.[8] In December 1997 Zeneca acquired the U.S. fungicide operations of Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, together with the international distribution rights to four recently developed fungicides, herbicides and pest control products, for $500 million.[9][10]
In May 1998 Zeneca announced that Tom McKillop, then the head of its drugs division, would succeed Sir David Barnes as chief executive, with Barnes becoming non-executive chairman of the company.[11] In November 1998 Zeneca announced that it was planning to sell its Zeneca Specialties division, including its biocides, industrial colours, lifescience molecules, performance and intermediate chemicals and resins activities.[12] Zeneca and Astra AB announced a £48 billion merger in December 1998.[13] In February 1999 it was reported that Zeneca would be suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in respect of its decision to allow Gensia Sicor to produce a generic version of its anaesthetic Diprivan.[14] The merger between Zeneca and Astra AB was completed in April 1999, forming AstraZeneca plc.[15]
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