On Friday, August 18, 2017, Aspen Pharmacare Canada officially completed the transfer of Canadian commercialization rights associated with five of AstraZeneca's anesthetic products. The products included in this transaction are:

DIPRIVAN 1% (propofol) – Short-acting intravenous sedative/anesthetic for injection.

NAROPIN (ropivacaine hydrochloride) – Local anesthesia solution for injection.

SENSORCAINE (bupivacaine hydrochloride) – Short-acting local or regional anesthetic for injection.

XYLOCAINE/XYLOCARD (lidocaine hydrochloride) – Local anesthesia, solution for injection, formulations for topical anesthesia and injectable anti-arrhythmic.

EMLA CREAM/EMLA PATCH (lidocaine + prilocaine) – Topical anesthetic, cream and patch.

"The acquisition of the commercialization rights for the AstraZeneca anesthesia portfolio is an important strategic investment for Aspen Global Incorporated. The addition of these products to the Aspen Canada portfolio significantly expands the product range we offer to the Canadian market," said Country Manager, Sylvain Desjeans. "Aspen is committed to providing high quality medicines at prices that are competitive and represent fair value to the healthcare community and to patients. The addition of the AstraZeneca family of anesthesia products increases the value we are able to bring to the Canadian hospital marketplace in particular."

All marketing and commercialization of the newly-acquired anesthesia products will continue seamlessly through the efforts of the Aspen team, building on the strong anesthesia heritage established by AstraZeneca. The originator of these brands, AstraZeneca, will continue to manufacture these products for Aspen for the foreseeable future, ensuring product consistency for the marketplace.