Sandoz Canada: The Best of Both Worlds

A Promising Start

Sandoz Canada is first and foremost a Canadian success story. Indeed, in 2004, the Novartis Group, the owner of Sandoz International GmbH, acquired Sabex, a Québec pharmaceutical company known for its entrepreneurial and innovative spirit.

Sabex was founded in 1980 by a group of investors headed by pharmacist Michel Saucier and quickly stood out for its technological leadership. In 1985, it launched Morphine HP*, an injectable formulation of concentrated morphine to relieve pain in cancer patients. This product was a direct response to the demand from pharmacists and the development of the growing market in patient-controlled analgesics (PCA). The development and improvement of this formulation helped make Sabex a Canadian leader in the field of sterile injectable products.

New Horizons

During the 1980s and 1990s, Sabex continued to grow and expanded its portfolio of injectable and ophthalmic products. In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two of its products, opening up the American market. In 2002, U.S. firm RoundTable Healthcare Partners became a majority shareholder of Sabex, an important springboard for the implementation of international strategies and Sabex’s continued expansion. In 2004, when it was purchased by Novartis, Sabex had no fewer than 300 generic and specialized formulations. Over approximately a 20‑year period, its sales have risen from US$2 million to US$90 million.

In 2005, Sabex officially changed its name to Sandoz Canada.

A Surge in Growth

Since its founding in 2005 and through the integration of RhoxalPharma, Sandoz Canada has combined the expertise of Sabex and the financial, technological and logistical capabilities of Sandoz International GmbH to ensure continued growth and new market development. Its current portfolio includes a wide variety of oral, topical, rectal, ophthalmic and injectable generic products in various forms (suspensions, solutions, tablets, capsules, creams, ointments, suppositories and gelcaps) and formats (ampoules, vials, bottles, minibags and transdermal patches).

Today, Sandoz Canada is a worldwide centre of excellence for the development of injectable products within the Sandoz Group. The company also has one of the highest growth rates among manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical products in the country. Between 2007 and 2009, the company invested nearly $100 million in its Boucherville facilities and created no fewer than 200 new jobs. Its cutting-edge complex includes an ultramodern production centre and a brand new head office, which was formally opened in late August 2009.

Sandoz International GmbH: Past and present

From a dyestuffs factory in Basel, Switzerland, founded in 1886 to one of the world's leading manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical products, Sandoz has blazed a path in medical research. A look at the milestones in this fascinating history will help explain what makes Sandoz what it is today: an international brand that has earned the trust of patients and healthcare professionals worldwide.Sandoz Canada: The Best of Both Worlds