Interview with John Norman, Country Manager, Nycomed South Africa
Mr Norman, could you tell us a few words on the transformation process that the company is currently going through? Takeda acquired Nycomed in October 2011, because it was an…
Address: 1 Libertas Road
Cnr Main Road and Sloane Street
Bryanston, Johannesburg
2191,South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 11 514 3000
Web: http://www.takeda.co.za/za/
The South African arm of Nycomed has its origins in 1996 when two German companies, Byk Gulden and Madaus AG entered into a joint venture in South Africa and Byk Madaus was created. All products were managed in one combined portfolio and came from either Byk Gulden, Madaus or were in-licenced from other companies. Packaging, warehousing and distribution operations were carried out at a warehouse facility in Midrand.
In 2001, the company outsourced its distribution to PHD.
In 2002, Altana Pharma was launched when Altana bought out the Byk portion of the Byk Madaus joint venture.
In 2003 a further name change took place and the company became the South African joint venture known as Altana Madaus. It was during this period that a separate OTC and Rx division were launched, the Midrand facility was sold and the company moved from Midrand to Woodmead.
In 2007 Nycomed GmbH acquired Altana Pharma and Rottapharm acquired Madaus GmbH. A further name change took place and the local company became known as Nycomed Madaus.
In 2008, Nycomed GmbH acquired the Madaus 50% share of the joint venture and the South African business now falls under the sole control of the Nycomed group of companies.
The South African product range encompasses both licensed and in-licensed OTC (Over the Counter) and Rx (prescription) products. These products are marketed and distributed nationally.
The Rx* product range covers the following treatment areas:
Respiratory
Anti-Epileptic
Urinary Tract
Iron
Liver
Gastro Intestinal
Pain and Inflamation
* In terms of South African legislation, scheduled products may not be marketed to the public and the brands have therefore not been mentioned on this website
The OTC product range encompasses the following treatment areas and products:
Laxatives – Agiolax® and Agiobulk®
Tranquiliser – Biral®
Pain and Inflammation – Empaped®, Reparil®, Dona®
Vitamin and Mineral – Emvit®, Emvit®.M, Emvit® Cal-D3, Magnesit®
Iron – Ferrimed®
Sun care – Piz Buin®
Mr Norman, could you tell us a few words on the transformation process that the company is currently going through? Takeda acquired Nycomed in October 2011, because it was an…
Medicines for Africa’s Lenias Hwenda argues that the success of the much-talked-about African Medicines Agency hinges on a critical mass of African national regulators achieving WHO Level 3 maturity status.…
Writing in the February 2024 edition of the DIA Global Forum magazine, Verena Pfaffinger and Ilona Baraniak-Lang of PharmaLex examine how the drug shortages seen in the global south during…
Tremendous strides have been made in both treatment and prevention of AIDS and it is no longer among the 10 leading causes of death globally, however an estimated 39 million…
Dr Benji Pretorius, the founder of Erada Technology Alliance and a malaria survivor himself, shares his insights into why the development of a truly effective malaria vaccine will only succeed…
Writing in the July 2023 edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, Nevena Miletic of Roche and the IFPMA’s Africa Regulatory Network and Ian Hudson from the Bill and Melinda Gates…
The third and final piece in Lenias Hwenda of Medicines for Africa’s series looking back at the challenges and successes of HIV/AIDS treatments over the past 40 years and potential…
The second in a three-part series looking back at the challenges and successes of HIV/AIDS treatments over the past 40 years and potential medical breakthroughs to come (read part one…
In the first of a series looking back at the challenges and successes of HIV/AIDS treatments over the past 40 years and potential medical breakthroughs to come, Lenias Hwenda of…
During the COVID-19 pandemic discussions around increasing access to medicines for low and middle-income countries (LMICs) were often centred on compulsory licensing. As a result, pharma companies were up in…
As part of a special focus on drug development and clinical research in Africa in February 2023’s DIA Global Forum magazine, Lisa Ursella Collins of Innomas Clinical Research, Leslie Sam…
Roughly half of Africa’s 1.1 billion people lack regular access to even the most essential medicines and most of Sub-Saharan Africa depends on imports which make up as much as…
Speaking exclusively to PharmaBoardroom, Medicines for Africa’s Lenias Hwenda gives a comprehensive overview of the African Medicines Agency, why such a regulatory body was needed, how it differs from the…
See our Cookie Privacy Policy Here