Pharmaceutical Research Corporation

Elan Pharmaceutical Research Corporation was a prominent U.S. subsidiary of the Irish pharmaceutical giant Elan Corporation, specializing in advanced drug delivery systems and the reformulation of existing therapeutics. Based in Gainesville, Georgia, the company played a critical role in developing controlled-release technologies and transdermal delivery systems, most notably receiving the first FDA approval for a nicotine patch in 1992. The corporation was also instrumental in the development and commercialization of significant products such as the generic version of Adalat CC (nifedipine) and the blockbuster multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri (natalizumab). Following a period of rapid expansion through acquisitions in the 1990s, the company's parent was eventually acquired by Perrigo in 2013 for approximately $8.6 billion, leading to the integration of its research and manufacturing operations.