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Schering Corporation, established in the late 1800s as the U.S. subsidiary of Schering AG, a German-based pharmaceutical and chemical company, was incorporated in New York City in 1928 and in New Jersey in 1935. Its first offering consisted of a modest but promising line of pharmaceutical products to U.S. consumers, which led to steady growth and a rapid expansion of facilities.
In the 1940s, Schering-Plough evolved into a truly American enterprise. Schering Corporation was nationalized by the U.S. government during World Wars I and II, and in 1952, the company passed into the private sector.
For Schering, the 1950s and 1960s were characterized by continued growth, attributable to research and development and acquisitions. Schering Corporation become a global research-based pharmaceutical firm, and in 1971, merged with Plough Inc., a worldwide manufacturer of consumer products, to create Schering-Plough Corporation.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Schering-Plough refined its focus on four key therapeutic areas and continued to excel at innovative approaches to treating disease. New technologies quickly became important tools in Schering-Plough's research program, enabling the company to achieve important pharmaceutical advances and significant breakthroughs in antihistamines, corticosteroids, antibiotics, anti-infectives and antiviral products.
In April 2003, Fred Hassan joined Schering-Plough as chief executive officer and was elected chairman by the Board of Directors. Under his direction, Schering-Plough began a journey of transformational change, with the six-to-eight year Action Agenda as the road map. With new leadership and dedication from colleagues throughout the organization, Schering-Plough has been able to move forward through challenging times. And, the company has continued to enhance its research and development capabilities.
A new chapter in Schering-Plough's history began in March 2007,
when the company announced its intention to purchase Organon BioSciences
NV (OBS). OBS is comprised mainly of Organon, the human pharmaceutical
business, and Intervet, the animal health business. It also includes
Nobilon, the human vaccine development unit, and Diosynth, the third-party
manufacturing unit of Organon. Schering-Plough and OBS have different
key franchises, with Organon offering new direction in the areas
of women's health and central nervous system medicines, but one
of their shared complementary strengths is their people. Click here
to read about the histories of Organon
and Intervet.
By focusing on the basics, earning the trust of all stakeholders and developing innovative products with the potential to improve people's health and extend lives, Schering-Plough is becoming a new kind of health care company that delivers high performance for the long term.
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