Alza

Alza Plaza in Mountain View, California

Alza Corporation was a pharmaceutical and medical systems company founded in 1970's by Dr Alejandro Zaffaroni; the company's name is a portmanteau of his name. Alza pioneered the field of drug delivery systems, bringing over 20 prescription pharmaceutical products to market, and employing about 10,000 people during 20 years.^{[citation needed]} Alza was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in May 2001, in a stock-for-stock transaction worth US$10.5 billion.^{[citation needed]}

Drug delivery platforms

The company owns the patents on the following delivery platforms:

• Alzamer Depot
• D-Trans
• Duros implant
• E-Trans electrotransport
• OROS (Osmotic Release Oral Systems) ^[1]
• Macroflux transdermal system
• Stealth liposomal

Marketed ALZA Products

• Catapres-TTS
• Concerta
• Covera HS - with G.D.Searle
• Ditropan XL
• Duragesic
• Doxil
• Glucotrol XL - with Pfizer
• Nicoderm CQ
• Procardia XL - with Pfizer
• Sudafed 24 hour - Efidac/24
• Spirolactone
• Exalgo

Locations

ALZA built its first corporate headquarters in 1971, at 950 Page Mill Road, now occupied by law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. In 1999, Alza moved its headquarters to Shoreline Business Park, where it remained until July 2007, when Johnson & Johnson laid off some of its 600 employees there and vacated the space.^{[2] [3]} The remaining employees were relocated to two buildings elsewhere in the Shoreline Business Park. Alza is now in operation in Vacaville, California.

Google's Googleplex is located just east of ALZA Plaza. In August–September 2008, Google moved into the Alza plaza buildings.

Alza operated a large-scale manufacturing facility in Vacaville, California, and another large-scale facility in Cashel, Ireland. Parent company Johnson and Johnson is trying to sell off the Vacaville facility.^[4]

See also

• Martin Gerstel

References