Pharmacia & Upjohn was a global pharmaceutical company formed by the merger of Sweden-based Pharmacia AB and the American company Upjohn in 1995.[1] Today the remainder of the company is owned by Pfizer. In 1997, Pharmacia & Upjohn sold several brands to Johnson & Johnson, including Motrin and Cortaid.
In 1998, the nutrition division of the company was sold to Fresenius.[8]
Monsanto acquired the pharmaceutical company G. D. Searle & Company in 1985.[9] In 1998, Searle and the Monsanto Pharma Sector partnered with Pfizer to develop and promote celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat arthritis.[10][11] Branded as Celebrex, celecoxib was approved by the FDA in 1998.[12] In December 1999, Pharmacia & Upjohn merged with the American biotechnology and medical company, Monsanto and renamed itself Pharmacia.[13] The company retained Monsanto's pharmaceutical division - then known as Searle - and spun off the remaining interests as the "new Monsanto".[14][15] The newly merged pharmaceutical entity changed its name to Pharmacia Corp.[16]
In July 2002, Pharmacia Corp. and Pfizer announced an agreement that Pfizer would purchase Pharmacia; control of celecoxib was often mentioned as a key reason for Pfizer's acquisition of Pharmacia.[17] The deal was finalized in April 2003.[18]
The following is an illustration of the company's mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and historical predecessors:
