RUGBY ACQUISITION COMPLETED BY MMD

Marion Merrell Dow has announced the completion of its acquisition of the USA's largest generic drug manufacturing business from the Rugby-Darby group of companies (Marketletter May 24).

MMD says that the generics business will be known as The Rugby Group and will do business as Rugby Laboratories. Rugby was ranked first last year in volume and US dollar sales in the US generic industry, with net sales of $280 million.

The acquisition is part of MMD's strategy to position itself for a new era of health care arising from changes in the marketplace, as well as federal and state reforms. The generics company is based in Atlanta and will continue to be led by its president and chief operating officer, Richard Frankovic. MMD's executive vice president and chief administrative and financial officer, Edward Mehrer, will become chairman of Rugby, which will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of MMD.