Barr Pharmaceuticals was a global specialty and generic drug manufacturer with operations in 30 countries. Approximately 75% of the company's revenues were from the sale of

generic drug A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active ...

s, including 18% of sales which were from the sale of

oral contraceptive pill Oral contraceptives, abbreviated OCPs, also known as birth control pills, are medications taken by mouth for the purpose of birth control. Female Two types of female oral contraceptive pill, taken once per day, are widely available: * The combi ...

s. It was acquired by

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (also known as Teva Pharmaceuticals) is an Israeli multinational pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel. It specializes primarily in generic drugs, but other business interests include ...

in 2008 for an estimated 7.46 billion dollars.

History

Barr Laboratories Inc. was founded in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1970 by Edwin A. Cohen. Starting in 1991 Barr Laboratories was involved in a scandal stemming from their violation of GMP regulations concerning handling of out-of-specification (OOS) test results. In 1993 Barr Labs lost a lawsuit stemming from these findings, resulting in new industry interpretations of FDA regulations regarding out of specification test results. In 1993, Bruce L. Downey joined the company as its

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

and in 1994, he became chairman and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...

of the company. In 1993, the company settled a patent infringement case and began distributing a generic version of

tamoxifen citrate Tamoxifen, sold under the brand name Nolvadex among others, is a selective estrogen receptor modulator used to prevent breast cancer in women and treat breast cancer in women and men. It is also being studied for other types of cancer. It has ...

, a treatment for

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

. In 1995, the company received approval to manufacture and sell a generic version of

zidovudine Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), is an antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It is generally recommended for use in combination with other antiretrovirals. It may be used to prevent mother-to-chil ...

(AZT), a treatment for AIDS. In 1996, the company became the first to receive approval from the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

to market generic

Warfarin Warfarin, sold under the brand name Coumadin among others, is a medication that is used as an anticoagulant (blood thinner). It is commonly used to prevent blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and to prevent ...

, which was previously only sold by DuPont. In 2001, the company acquired Duramed Pharmaceuticals for $589 million in stock. In August 2001, after a 5-year legal battle with

Eli Lilly and Company Eli Lilly and Company is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in 18 countries. Its products are sold in approximately 125 countries. The company was founded in 1876 by, and named after, Colon ...

, the company began selling a generic version of

Prozac Fluoxetine, sold under the brand names Prozac and Sarafem, among others, is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. It is used for the treatment of major depressive disorder, obsessive–compulsive disord ...

. In 2003, the company acquired Endeavor Pharmaceuticals for $35 million. In 2004, the company acquired Women's Capital, maker of Plan B emergency contraceptives. In October 2006, the company acquired

Pliva Pliva d.o.o. is a pharmaceutical company based in Zagreb, Croatia that primarily manufactures and sells generic drugs. It is a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Pliva is one of the world's largest producers of generic Adderall. History The c ...

. On December 23, 2008, the company was acquired by

and became part of

Teva Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (TAPI) Teva api is an international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Israel. teva api is a stand-alone business unit of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries limited, the largest generic drug manufacturer in the world and one of the 15 largest pharmac ...

References

{{Authority control 1970 establishments in New York (state) 2008 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 1970 Pharmaceutical companies established in 1970 Pharmaceutical companies disestablished in 2008 2008 disestablishments in New Jersey Pharmaceutical companies based in New Jersey Defunct pharmaceutical companies of the United States