Sandoz, a Novartis company, with global headquarters in Vienna, Austria, is a world leader in generic pharmaceuticals and develops, manufactures and markets these medicines as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnological active ingredients. Decades of experience make Sandoz a renowned partner in pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and anti-infectives. Sandoz reported sales in 2004 were $3 billion and employed approximately 13,400 people in more than 110 countries. Sandoz is a leading global supplier of high-quality generic pharmaceuticals. A generic pharmaceutical product is the bioequivalent of a brand name pharmaceutical. This includes dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Generic pharmaceuticals are held to the same rigid standards as the innovator product, as dictated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies throughout the world. Although generic pharmaceuticals are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they traditionally cost consumers less than the brand product.