Mylan
Mylan was a global generic and specialty pharmaceutical company that merged with Upjohn in 2020 to form Viatris.
Last updated November 3, 2026
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Overview
Mylan was a major generic and specialty pharmaceutical company founded in 1961 by Milan Puskar and Don Panoz in West Virginia. It began as a drug distributor and expanded into manufacturing in the mid-1960s, initially producing penicillin tablets, vitamins, and other medicines. The company later moved away from contract manufacturing and built a business around medicines marketed under the Mylan name. Mylan's growth accelerated after the 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act made it easier for generic-drug companies to enter the United States market. The company used a combination of internal development, manufacturing expansion, licensing, and acquisitions to become one of the world's largest generic-drug producers. Its Maxzide diuretic was an early example of Mylan developing a reformulated product rather than simply copying an existing medicine whose formulation was difficult to demonstrate as bioequivalent. The product helped establish Mylan as a significant branded-generics company, although related patent and competition disputes followed. During the 1990s, Mylan broadened its capabilities through the acquisitions of Bertek and UDL Laboratories. Bertek, later renamed Mylan Technologies, added transdermal-patch expertise and manufacturing capacity, while UDL strengthened the company's institutional and long-term-care distribution business. Mylan also became involved in a major federal and state antitrust case after sharp price increases for certain generic medicines and an exclusive ingredient-supply arrangement. The case ended in a 2000 settlement and injunction concerning anticompetitive supply agreements. The company entered a more international phase in the 2000s. In 2007 it acquired a controlling interest in India's Matrix Laboratories, gaining access to active pharmaceutical ingredients and production networks in emerging markets. Later that year it purchased the generic-drug business of Merck KGaA, a transaction that substantially expanded Mylan's global footprint and brought the EpiPen epinephrine auto-injector into its portfolio. EpiPen subsequently became one of the company's most recognizable products and a major source of public scrutiny. Mylan continued expanding through acquisitions and partnerships in the 2010s. It purchased Agila Specialties, an Indian injectable-drug business, acquired Abbott Laboratories' developed-markets generic-drug operations in a stock transaction structured as a tax inversion, and pursued additional international scale. Its portfolio covered oncology, infectious disease, cardiovascular and respiratory medicines, dermatology, immunology, anesthesia, pain management, gastroenterology, diabetes and endocrinology, women's healthcare, and emergency medicines. The company's EpiPen pricing became the focus of congressional, regulatory, consumer, and media criticism after substantial price increases. Mylan introduced an authorized generic and patient-assistance measures, but the controversy led to investigations, litigation, settlements, and continuing debate over competition and access to epinephrine auto-injectors. Mylan also faced manufacturing-quality concerns, Medicaid rebate allegations, and disputes over product quality and regulatory compliance. Mylan's corporate life ended in November 2020, when it combined with Upjohn, Pfizer's off-patent medicines division. The transaction created Viatris, which assumed Mylan's commercial operations and product portfolio. Mylan therefore survives primarily as a historical corporate and product identity rather than as an independent operating pharmaceutical company.
History
Mylan was established in 1961 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, by Milan Puskar and Don Panoz. It initially operated as a drug distributor and began manufacturing penicillin tablets, vitamins, and dietary supplements in 1966. Panoz left in 1969, and Puskar departed in 1973 during a period of financial difficulty. Roy McKnight became chairman and persuaded Puskar to return in 1976. Mylan relocated repeatedly during its early years, moving to Pennsauken, New Jersey, Princeton, West Virginia, and Morgantown before establishing its corporate base in the Pittsburgh area in 1976. In 2004, its headquarters moved to the Southpointe business center in Cecil Township, Pennsylvania. In 1980, Mylan stopped operating primarily as a contract manufacturer and concentrated on products marketed under its own label. The company's expansion benefited from the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984, which created a more favorable framework for generic-drug approvals. Mylan developed Maxzide, a reformulated triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide product, after difficulties surrounding the bioequivalence of generic versions of Dyazide. Maxzide was approved as a new drug rather than as a conventional generic and became an important commercial product. Mylan's investigations into competitors' attempts to establish bioequivalence for related products also contributed to broader scrutiny of misconduct in the generic-drug industry and within the FDA's generic-drug division. Mylan began acquiring complementary capabilities in the 1980s and 1990s. A joint venture with Bolar led to the acquisition of Somerset Pharmaceuticals, giving Mylan an interest in selegiline and drug-development capabilities. Bertek, acquired in 1993 and renamed Mylan Technologies in 1999, added transdermal delivery technology. UDL Laboratories, acquired in 1996, strengthened institutional and long-term-care distribution. Mylan Technologies later manufactured and marketed generic transdermal products including nitroglycerin, estradiol, clonidine, and fentanyl patches. The company faced serious legal and reputational challenges in the late 1990s. The Federal Trade Commission and numerous states investigated sharp increases in the prices of lorazepam and clorazepate following an exclusive ingredient-supply arrangement. The case was settled in 2000 through payments, consumer and government compensation mechanisms, and an injunction limiting similar agreements. In 2004 and 2005, Mylan's proposed acquisition of King Pharmaceuticals became entangled with an accounting investigation involving King and an activist campaign led by Carl Icahn. The transaction was abandoned, and Icahn later withdrew his takeover effort. Mylan pursued international scale aggressively after 2006. It acquired a controlling interest in Matrix Laboratories in 2007 and purchased the generic-drug operations of Merck KGaA later that year. These transactions made Mylan one of the world's largest generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies and brought EpiPen into its portfolio. In 2009, Mylan and UDL agreed to pay to resolve allegations that Medicaid rebates had been calculated improperly for certain products. The company also brought and later dropped lawsuits against the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette over an article concerning quality-control practices. During the 2010s, Mylan expanded its respiratory, injectable, and international businesses. It reached an agreement with Pfizer concerning development and commercialization of a generic version of Advair/Seretide using Pfizer's dry-powder inhaler platform. It acquired Agila Specialties in 2013, adding generic injectable capabilities, and acquired Abbott Laboratories' developed-markets generic business in 2015 through a stock-based transaction structured as a tax inversion. Some acquired and existing manufacturing plants later faced regulatory criticism, including contamination and compliance concerns. EpiPen became central to Mylan's public identity. The EpiPen4Schools program, introduced in 2012, offered bulk purchasing and discounts to schools. Mylan also supported policy and legislative efforts that expanded school access to emergency epinephrine. The program and related advocacy attracted scrutiny because of political connections involving then-chief executive Heather Bresch's family. In 2016, criticism escalated over EpiPen price increases and market competition. Mylan announced an authorized generic and other assistance measures, while regulators, lawmakers, consumers, and private litigants examined pricing and contracting practices. In 2020, Mylan completed its combination with Upjohn, Pfizer's off-patent medicines division. The new company, Viatris, began operating in November 2020. Mylan's independent corporate structure and public listing ended, although many products, facilities, and commercial activities continued within Viatris.
- 2020
Mylan becomes part of Viatris
[1]Mylan combines with Upjohn and ceases to operate as a separate company.
- 2015
Abbott developed-markets generics business is acquired
[1]The stock transaction expands Mylan's portfolio and geographic presence in developed markets.
- 2013
Agila Specialties is acquired
[1]Mylan expands its generic injectable-drug business through the acquisition of the Indian company.
- 2012
EpiPen4Schools launches
[1]Mylan introduces a school purchasing program intended to expand access to epinephrine auto-injectors.
- 2007
Matrix and Merck generics acquisitions
[1]Two major transactions transform Mylan into a substantially more international generic-drug company.
- 1993
Bertek is acquired
[1]The acquisition adds transdermal-patch technology and related manufacturing capabilities.
- 1984
Maxzide is approved
[1]Mylan's reformulated diuretic combination receives approval as a new drug.
- 1973
Initial public offering
[1]Mylan becomes publicly traded on the over-the-counter market.
- 1966
Manufacturing begins
[1]Mylan begins producing penicillin tablets, vitamins, and dietary supplements.
- 1961
Mylan is founded
[1]Milan Puskar and Don Panoz establish the company in West Virginia as a drug distributor.
Products and positioning
Global value-oriented pharmaceutical manufacturer focused on generic, branded-generic, specialty, and selected innovative medicines, with an emphasis on broad access, large-scale manufacturing, and international distribution.
Emergency medicine
EpiPen
An epinephrine auto-injector used for emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Mylan obtained marketing rights through the 2007 Merck KGaA transaction. The product became one of the most recognizable medicines in Mylan's portfolio and was distributed through consumer, medical, and school channels. Its pricing, contracting, and market position generated extensive public and regulatory controversy during the 2010s.
Cardiovascular and diuretic medicine · 1984
Maxzide
A combination diuretic containing triamterene and hydrochlorothiazide. Mylan developed a more stable formulation with different strengths from Dyazide and obtained approval as a new drug. The product demonstrated the company's early strategy of combining generic-drug expertise with branded-product development and commercialization.
Transdermal medicines
Mylan transdermal patches
A group of patch-based medicines supported by Bertek, later Mylan Technologies. The business contributed generic versions of products including nitroglycerin, estradiol, clonidine, and fentanyl patches, giving Mylan a specialized delivery-platform capability beyond conventional tablets and capsules.
Injectable pharmaceuticals · 2013
Generic injectable medicines
Mylan expanded into sterile and injectable generic medicines through Agila Specialties. The portfolio served hospitals and other professional-care settings, although several manufacturing facilities later faced regulatory and contamination-related scrutiny.
Respiratory medicine · 2015
Generic Advair/Seretide
A respiratory product developed under an agreement with Pfizer using Pfizer's proprietary dry-powder inhaler platform. Mylan launched the product in the United Kingdom in 2015 and pursued United States regulatory approval for a generic equivalent of GlaxoSmithKline's Advair/Seretide Diskus.
Controversies
2021
Mylan sues Teva over alleged Copaxone competition restraints
Mylan Pharmaceuticals filed a federal lawsuit against Teva, alleging that Teva used tactics to delay competition for its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone. The allegations are presented as claims in the filing rather than as a court determination, and Teva had not yet responded at the time of the report.
2021
Kansas court rules substantially in Mylan's favor in EpiPen class action
The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas ruled substantially in Mylan's favor on its summary judgment motion in a class action related to the EpiPen Auto-Injector. The court dismissed the plaintiffs' federal RICO claims and claims alleging that Mylan foreclosed branded competition through rebate arrangements. The court did not decide the remaining claim on its merits.
2020
Court enters summary judgment in Mylan's favor in Sanofi lawsuit
The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas entered summary judgment in Mylan's favor in the lawsuit brought by Sanofi over EpiPen products. Viatris characterized the court action as rejecting Sanofi's allegations of anticompetitive practices; the source reports a judgment, not a separate finding of misconduct.
2016
EpiPen pricing controversy
Mylan faced widespread criticism and investigations over increases in the price of EpiPen, along with questions about competition, rebates, contracting practices, and access to emergency epinephrine.
2013
Manufacturing-quality scrutiny after Agila acquisition
Several Mylan facilities, including sites acquired through Agila, received regulatory criticism over contamination and manufacturing-compliance issues, prompting questions about integration and quality control.
2009
Medicaid rebate allegations
Mylan and UDL agreed to pay to resolve allegations that certain medicines had been treated as generics for Medicaid rebate purposes even though the government claimed they should have received higher rebate treatment.
1998
Generic-drug pricing and supply investigation
The FTC and numerous states challenged price increases for lorazepam and related medicines following an exclusive active-ingredient supply arrangement. The matter was resolved in 2000 through payments and an injunction addressing similar anticompetitive conduct.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012EpiPen4Schools
United States
A bulk-purchasing and discount program designed to encourage schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors for students and staff at risk of anaphylaxis.
Outcome. Expanded school access while also drawing scrutiny over program conditions, political advocacy, and Mylan's market position.
Brand decisions
2020
Combination with UpjohnM&ABackground
Mylan and Pfizer sought to combine Mylan's generic and specialty platform with Upjohn's off-patent medicines.
Action taken
Mylan merged with Upjohn to create Viatris.
Aftermath
Mylan ceased to exist as an independent listed pharmaceutical company, while its operations continued within Viatris.
2007
Matrix Laboratories acquisitionM&ABackground
Mylan needed broader access to active pharmaceutical ingredients and lower-cost international production.
Action taken
Mylan acquired a controlling interest in Matrix Laboratories and its subsidiaries.
Aftermath
The deal expanded Mylan's presence in India, China, Africa, and international API supply.
Reported transaction value. Approximately $736 million (2007)
2007
Merck KGaA generics acquisitionM&ABackground
Mylan sought global scale and a stronger presence in branded generic and specialty medicines.
Action taken
Mylan acquired Merck KGaA's generic-drug business and obtained rights to market EpiPen.
Aftermath
Mylan became one of the world's largest generic and specialty pharmaceutical companies.
Reported transaction value. $6.6 billion (2007)
1980
Shift to Mylan-labeled productsStrategyBackground
Mylan sought greater control over its commercial identity and margins rather than continuing primarily as a contract manufacturer.
Action taken
The company discontinued contract manufacturing as its central operating model and marketed medicines under its own label.
Aftermath
The change established the branded-generic model that supported Mylan's later expansion.
Recent events
- 2020
Mylan combines with Upjohn to form Viatris[1]
M&A
Mylan merged with Pfizer's Upjohn off-patent medicines division, ending Mylan's existence as an independent company.
- 2007
Mylan acquires control of Matrix Laboratories[1]
M&A
The acquisition expanded Mylan's access to active pharmaceutical ingredients and manufacturing and commercial networks in emerging markets.
- 2007
Mylan acquires Merck KGaA generics business[1]
M&A
The transaction expanded Mylan's international generic-drug business and added rights to market EpiPen.
- 1984
Hatch-Waxman Act accelerates generic-drug growth[1]
Regulation
Changes to United States pharmaceutical regulation substantially increased the commercial value of generic-drug companies, including Mylan.
- 1973
Mylan becomes publicly traded[1]
Other
The company completed its initial public offering on the over-the-counter market and later moved to major exchanges.
Sources7 sources
- 1Mylanen.wikipedia.org
- 2Court enters summary judgment in Mylan's favor in Sanofi lawsuitprnewswire.com
- 3Mylan sues Teva over alleged Copaxone competition restraintsyahoo.com
- 4Mylan sues Teva over alleged Copaxone competition restraintslawstreetmedia.com
- 5Kansas court rules substantially in Mylan's favor in EpiPen class actionprnewswire.com
- 6IICT partners with Mylan for combination therapy trialshindustantimes.com
- 7Mylan Acquires Aspen's European Thrombosis Portfolio for $757.3 Millionbiospace.com
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