Taro Pharmaceuticals

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries is a research-based pharmaceutical manufacturer publicly listed in the New York Stock Exchange. The company has more than 180 of its own drugs sold all over the world, reaching the markets of over 25 countries.^[1] The company's products are mainly sold in the United States, Canada and Israel.^[2] The symbol of the company in NYSE is "TARO".

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries is reported to be on steady growth since 2008. Its revenues have increased from $327 million to an estimated $717 million, and at the same time, its earnings per share have been increasing from $0.76 to an estimated $6.92 during this period.^[3]

Operations

The company's operations are managed in three sub-companies, including Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Taro U.S.A. The latter two are its subsidiaries.^[4]

History

Taro (the name of the company was derived from the Hebrew words for "pharmaceutical industry") was founded in 1950 by a team of pharmacists and physicians in Haifa, Israel. In 1952 it acquired by United States based investors and began production and marketing Rokal and Rokacet pain relievers.^[5]

In 1957, Taro acquired licenses to produce third-party products for the Israeli market and launched production of its first three licensed products, Coumadin, also known under its generic name, Warfarin, Percodan and Percocet.^[5]

In 1960, Taro begins production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).^[5]

Taro had an initial public offering in 1961, listing its stock on the over-the-counter market in the United States. At the beginning of the 1980s Taro became interested in moving into the North American market, following the impending opening of the U.S. generics market through the Hatch-Waxman Act, that was passed in 1984 and provided a framework for the production and marketing of off-patent drugs in the United States. In preparation for this opening, Taro shifted its listing to the NASDAQ stock index in 1982.^[5]

In 1984, Taro acquired Canada-based K-Line Pharmaceuticals. K-Line specialized in generic topical medications for dermatological applications. This niche market then became Taro's primary focus in the North American market.

Acquisition by Sun Pharmaceuticals

In 2009, the company sued India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. For failing to disclose that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had effectively closed down Sun's US subsidiary, in their legal battle over Taro's unilateral cancellation of the takeover contract by Sun.

In 2013, they mutually agreed to terminate their merger agreement.^[6]

FDA warnings

In February 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning letter to Taro Pharmaceuticals pointing out some issues relating to the company's manufacturing facility in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The manufacture of non-sterile cream an ointment finished products was inspected to be adulterated and did not conform good manufacturing practices.^[7]

In February 2011, Taro Pharmaceuticals resolved the warning letters after a re-inspection from FDA which showed an acceptable regulatory status.^[8]

References

External links

• "Taro Pharmaceutical Industries". taro.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.