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History

1850.The start

Sir George Grey served as a Governor of the Cape of Good Hope...
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Lennon establishes himself

By 1858 the local press were featuring advertisements detailing the Lennon products, which had just arrived by ship and were available in pharmacies.
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1884. Advertisement in the first South African Medical Journal

The first issue of the publication...
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1898. Lennon Limited is born

By 1898, due to the tremendous expansion...
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1899. First annual report

The first annual report noted a satisfactory performance despite...
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1911. Lennon is widely established

By 1911, Lennon Ltd...
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1930. Lennon – largest in the southern hemisphere

In 1930 Lennon Ltd was the largest pharmaceutical company...
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1957. 30 June 1957 financials

During the 1950s and 1960s Lennon Ltd...
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1967. The Lennon factory in Port Elizabeth

View from the North End Lake, showing the Welfare Block in the foreground...
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1975. Lennon – a generic front runner

The Medicines and Related Substances Act of 1965 prompted most...
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1996. SA Druggists

In 1968 the South African Druggists group, including Lennon Ltd, was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange...
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1997. Humble beginnings

Stephen Saad and Gus Attridge were two of the four founding members of Aspen...
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1998. JSE listing

Aspen was listed on the JSE through reverse listing into Medhold Ltd.
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1999. SA Druggists acquired

Aspen acquired South African Druggists, the oldest pharmaceutical business in South Africa...
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2001. Aspen Australia opens

Aspen Australia commenced as a start-up operations in Sydney and...
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2002. Aspen’s new corporate identity

Aspen’s new corporate identity was launched symbolising energy, innovation and nurturing.
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2002. CEPPWAWU deal

Aspen concluded a broad-based black economic empowerment deal with...
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2003. First generic ARV launched

Aspen Stavudine was launched – Africa’s first generic antiretroviral (ARV).
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2004. PE facility construction

Aspen’s state-of-the-art, multi-million Rand oral solid dose...
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2004. Fine Chemicals

Aspen acquired Fine Chemicals in Cape Town, the only South African manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
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2004. Infacare acquisition

Aspen acquired Infacare, the infant nutritional brand, from Dutch-based Royal Numico.
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2005. US FDA approval

Aspen’s Unit 1 facility in Port Elizabeth became the world’s first manufacturing facility to receive tentative US FDA approval for the production of certain generic ARVs.
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2005. Imithi transaction

Aspen extended its broad-based black economic empowerment ownership through an empowerment transaction with Imithi Investments (Pty) Ltd.
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2006. Aspen largest supplier of ARVs in Africa

Aspen was recognised as the largest supplier of ARVs in Africa...
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2006. Manufacturing and capacity enhancements

Construction commenced on the Sterile Facility at the Port Elizabeth site.
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2008. Aspen enters Latin America

Aspen entered the Latin American market through an investment in businesses established in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela and...
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2008. GSK product acquisition

Aspen acquired the intellectual property rights from GSK for four key global brands: Eltroxin, Imuran, Lanoxin and Zyloric...
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2009. Further GSK transactions

Aspen concluded a series of strategic transactions with GSK comprising the acquisition of the rights to distribute GSK’s pharmaceutical products in South Africa...
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2011. Aspen expands its Australian presence

Aspen started its business in 2001 with two people. In 2011 Aspen acquired the largest...
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2011. Aspen embraces Mandela Day

Aspen joined the call of the Former South African President Nelson Mandela in support of an annual event to benefit disadvantaged communities.
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2012. Aspen joins Social Compact

Aspen signalled its support of the Social Compact, as a founder member of the Public Healthcare Enhancement Fund in South Africa...
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2013. Expansion of Aspen’s infant nutritional products

2013 heralded Aspen’s acquisition of rights to infant nutritional brands and related businesses from Nestlé in Australia, a number of Latin American territories...
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2013. Branded products and API site acquired from MSD

Aspen acquired an API manufacturing business, primarily at Oss in the Netherlands (effective 1 October 2013), and a portfolio of 11 branded finished dose form molecules...
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2014. Acquisition of anticoagulants from GSK

Aspen concluded two related transactions with GSK, valued at approximately R12 billion, to acquire the Arixtra and Fraxiparine/Fraxodi thrombolytic brands worldwide...
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2014. Aspen goes global

Aspen expanded its global footprint, commencing activity in an additional 21 countries and taking the number of Aspen offices and sites around the world to more than 50.
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2015. New global headquarters complete

New global headquarters complete.
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2016 - Exclusive Rights to anaesthetics

Acquired the exclusive rights to commercialise AstraZeneca's global anaesthetics portfolio in 100 countries worldwide, including China but excluding the USA
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2017. Acquired IP rights to anaesthetics

Acquired remaining rights to IP and manufacturing know-how related to AstraZeneca’s anaesthetics portfolio
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2018-2019. FUTURE

Commercial focus on specialised therapies; increased complex manufacturing capacities; leverage of geographic footprint; and portfolio expansion through development and acquisition
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