Alza Corporation was a

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...

and

medical system Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, and Health promotion ...

s company.

Background

Founded in 1968 by Dr.

Alejandro Zaffaroni Alejandro Zaffaroni (February 27, 1923 – March 1, 2014) was a Uruguayan serial entrepreneur who was responsible for founding several biotechnology companies in Silicon Valley. Products that he was involved in developing include the birth contro ...

; the company's name is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsdrug delivery Drug delivery refers to approaches, formulations, manufacturing techniques, storage systems, and technologies involved in transporting a pharmaceutical compound to its target site to achieve a desired therapeutic effect. Principles related to d ...

systems, bringing over 20 prescription pharmaceutical products to market, and employing about 10,000 people during 20 years. In 2001, Alza was acquired by

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...

via a stock-for-stock transaction worth US$10.5 billion.

Drug delivery platforms

The company owns the patents on the following delivery platforms: * Alzamer Depot * D-Trans * DUROS implant * E-Trans electrotransport *

OROS The osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system (OROS) is an advanced controlled release oral drug delivery system in the form of a rigid tablet with a semi-permeable outer membrane and one or more small laser drilled holes in it. As the ta ...

(

Osmotic Osmosis (, ) is the spontaneous net movement or diffusion of solvent molecules through a selectively-permeable membrane from a region of high water potential (region of lower solute concentration) to a region of low water potential (region of ...

Release Oral System) * Macroflux transdermal system * Stealth liposomal

Marketed Alza products

Locations

Alza built its first

corporate headquarters Corporate headquarters is the part of a corporate structure that deals with important tasks such as strategic planning, corporate communications, taxes, law, books of record, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology. Corpor ...

in 1971, at 950

Page Mill Road There are 21 routes assigned to the "G" zone of the California Route Marker Program, which designates county routes in California. The "G" zone includes county highways in Monterey County, California, Monterey, San Benito County, California, San ...

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was estab ...

, California, now occupied by law firm

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is an American international law firm that specializes in business, securities, and intellectual property law. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the firm provides legal services to technology, life sciences ...

. In 1999, Alza moved its headquarters to Shoreline Business Park, where it remained until July 2007 when Alza was acquired by Johnson & Johnson and the space was vacated. The remaining employees were relocated to two buildings elsewhere in the Shoreline Business Park. Alza is now in operation in

Vacaville Vacaville is a city located in Solano County in Northern California. Sitting approximately from Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is within the Sacramento Valley. As of the 2020 census, Vacaville had a population of 102,386, making it th ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, but this facility will be closed by 2022. Alza operated a large-scale manufacturing facility in

Vacaville, California Vacaville is a city located in Solano County in Northern California. Sitting approximately from Sacramento and from San Francisco, it is within the Sacramento Valley. As of the 2020 census, Vacaville had a population of 102,386, making it ...

, and previously operated a large-scale facility in Cashel,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Google's

Googleplex The Googleplex is the corporate headquarters complex of Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc. It is located at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California. The original complex, with of office space, is the company's second la ...

is located just east of Alza Plaza. In August–September 2008, Google moved into the Alza plaza buildings. Alza pano from Permanente Creek Trail

References

{{J&J Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries Defunct pharmaceutical companies of the United States Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Healthcare in the San Francisco Bay Area Companies based in Mountain View, California Pharmaceutical companies established in 1968 Pharmaceutical companies disestablished in 2001 Life sciences industry 1968 establishments in California 2001 disestablishments in California

Background

Drug delivery platforms

Marketed Alza products

Locations

See also

References