APOblog

It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our founder, Dr. Bernard C. Sherman, Chairman of the Board of the Apotex Group of Companies, at the age of 75, and his wife Honey Sherman.

From its humble two-employee, 5,000 square-feet beginning in Toronto, the company Dr. Sherman founded grew into a global pharmaceutical organization that today employs more than 11,000 people in research, development, manufacturing, and distribution in facilities around the world.

Despite the increasingly global scope of Apotex, Dr. Sherman remained committed to Apotex's Canadian roots with more than 6000 employees and 21 facilities across the country. The company's continued focus on innovative and novel approaches to manufacturing is what has enabled it to produce pharmaceuticals cost effectively, helping to maintain production in Canada versus moving to lower cost markets and regions.

Dr. Sherman embraced the obligations that come with success. As a testament to this, Apotex provides significant support to a variety of charitable organizations and community groups in Canada and around the world, and invests significantly in the universities where many of our employees earned their degrees. The Apotex Foundation, a privately held charitable organization, has donated more than $50 million over the last ten years.

Dr. Sherman gave his life to the singular purpose of our organization – innovating for patient affordability. Patients around the world live healthier and more fulfilled lives thanks to his life's work, and his significant impact on healthcare and healthcare sustainability will have an enduring impact for many years to come. As employees, we are proud of his tremendous accomplishments, honored to have known him, and vow to carry on with the Apotex purpose in his honor.