An overview of our history
Xellia is a global leader in providing critical care therapies and anti-infective treatments against serious and often life-threatening infections; ranging from Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to drug products (FDFs), and from generics to specialty pharmaceuticals.
Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and owned by Novo Holdings A/S, Xellia Pharmaceuticals has more than 1800 employees globally. From state-of-the-art manufacturing sites in the U.S., China, Denmark and Hungary to R&D sites in Norway and Croatia and commercial operations across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America; Xellia Pharmaceuticals’ strong market position is built on more than 120 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. With the patient in focus, Xellia is building a pipeline of value-added critical care therapies which aim to enhance patient care by providing convenience and ease of use for healthcare professionals.
1903
1903 Apothekernes Laboratorium (A. L.) is founded by a group of pharmacists in Norway
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1940-1960
1946 A/S Dumex is founded by The East Asiatic Company
1952 A.L. establishes a partnership with Commercial Solvent Corp. and obtains license to produce Bacitracin and Neomycin
1954 Production of the company's new core product, Bacitracin, begins in Oslo, Norway
1958 Production of Bacitracin Zinc begins in Oslo, Norway
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1960 - 1980
1961 A/S Dumex in Denmark begins production of Tetracyclin
1968/69 Throughout the 1960's, the company grows and production of Polymyxin B and Colistin begins in Copenhagen, Denmark
1975 In the U.S., A.L. Laboratories Inc. is established by Apothekernes Laboratorium AS. A.L. is now the U.S’s market leader in Bacitracin for human and veterinary use
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1980 - 1990
1983 A.L. Laboratories Inc. acquires A/S Dumex and the company becomes a subsidiary of A.L. Laboratories Inc
1984 A.L. Laboratories Inc. goes public and the stock is listed on the American Stock Exchange
1985 Production of Amphotericin B begins in Copenhagen, Denmark
1989 The stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange
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1990-2000
1991 The Bacitracin business of Lundbeck is acquired and the company becomes the world leading supplier of Bacitracin for human and veterinary use
1994 Alpharma is formed by a merger of A.L. Laboratories Inc, Dumex A/S and Apothekernes Laboratorium AS
1997 Alpharma acquires certain technologies from Cultour Food Science, Inc
1998 SKW Biotech, Hungary, is acquired
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2000-2010
2003 A new state-of-the-art bulk, robotized, freeze drying department for Vancomycin is opened in Copenhagen, Denmark
2005 Tobramycin facility is opened in Copenhagen, Denmark
2007 The company acquires a distribution and trading company in Japan, Nippon Dumex. Today known as Nippon Axellia Co, Ltd
2008 The Alpharma API business is acquired by investment funds managed by the private equity firm 3i and members of the management team. Xellia Pharmaceuticals is born
2008/09 Our facility in Taizhou, P.R China obtains the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Business License for the production of Vancomycin Hydrochloride and obtains FDA approval in 2009
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2010 - 2020
2013 Novo Holdings A/S acquires Xellia Pharmaceuticals on May 21st
2014 Xellia acquires manufacturing facilities in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
2015 Xellia expands US production with acquisition of manufacturing plant from Hikma Pharmaceuticals in Bedford, Ohio
2017 Xellia expands its Budapest facilities with the build of a new 3,000m2 Centralized Laboratory Services building. The new facilities strengthen our product release and stability testing services for APIs and FDFs produced across Xellia’s other sites in the US, China and Denmark
2017 Xellia signs Davos Declaration on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
2018 Xellia opens a new North American Commercial Office (Xellia Chicago) in Buffalo Grove, Illinois to prepare for direct market entry in North America
2019 Divests Raleigh, North Carolina production facilities to Sagent Pharmaceuticals
2020 Successful outcome of a cGMP inspection conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at our Cleveland, Ohio facility, enabling us to commence manufacturing of drug products at the site
2020 Xellia opens new commercial office in Dubai
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2020-2030
2021 Xellia joins Medicines for Europe to support better access to critical medicines
2021 Xellia signs UN’s Women Empowerment Principles
2021 Xellia receives Industrial Research and Innovation (IRI) Grant to support the development of Value-Added Medicines (VAM) in the antibiotics space
2021 Xellia Cleveland facility commercially operational
2022 Xellia joins End Drug Shortages Alliance
2022 Xellia joins the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative
2024 Xellia divests its US-based institutional activities to Hikma Pharmaceuticals to focus on the manufacturing and commercialization of its life-saving anti-infectives portfolio through its global B2B partners
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