The merger would provide an expanded geographic reach for the new company Viatris’ wide-ranging product portfolio and future pipeline
Image: Pfizer headquarters in Manhattan, New York, US. Photo: Courtesy of Coolcaesar/Wikipedia.
Mylan and Pfizer have announced that the name of the new company, to be established by the planned merger of Mylan and Pfizer’s Upjohn, will be Viatris.
The name Viatris has been derived from Latin, which represents the goal of the new company to provide a path (VIA) to three (TRIS) core goals, which include offering access to medicines, innovations for patient needs, and to be a trusted partner for the international healthcare community.
Upjohn group president Michael Goettler said: “The name Viatris communicates the strength of our companies’ combined heritage and our shared goal to provide the highest-quality medicines to the most patients possible. We have an opportunity to deliver better health, better care and better value for patients and partners around the world.”
The merger would provide expanded geographic reach for Viatris
Viatris has been established through the combination of two complementary businesses, Mylan and Pfizer’s Upjohn, and is expected to combine the leadership position of Upjohn in China and emerging markets with a significant presence of Mylan in the US and Europe.
Mylan is an international pharmaceutical company that provides high-quality medicine for seven billion people in 165 countries and territories across the world.
Pfizer’s Upjohn is focused on providing trusted, quality medicines for patients with non-communicable diseases, and is aimed at treating 225 million new patients by 2025.
The company offers 20 brands products including Lipitor, Norvasc, Lyrica and Viagra, with advanced medical, manufacturing and commercial expertise in more than 120 countries.
The combination is expected to provide an expanded geographic reach for the new company Viatris’ wide-ranging product portfolio and future pipeline.
Both Mylan and Pfizer’s Upjohn will continue to operate as independent, separate organizations until the completion of the transaction, which is expected in mid-2020, and the new name will be effective upon closing of the transaction.
Robert J Coury will be appointed as the executive chairman and Michael Goettler will be appointed as chief executive officer for the new company Viatris.
Coury said: “We wanted a name that would differentiate our new company and clearly explain how we will be a champion for global health. We are creating a company unlike any other – a company focused on building a more hopeful and sustainable healthcare journey, empowering patients to live healthier at every stage of life.”