Cephalon Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company based in Frazer, Pennsylvania, USA, that was founded in 1987. The company was focused on developing and marketing innovative treatments for central nervous system disorders, cancer, and pain.
Cephalon was known for its development of the wakefulness-promoting drug modafinil, which was marketed under the brand name Provigil. The company also developed Fentora, a rapid-acting fentanyl product for the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients, and Treanda, a chemotherapy drug for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
In 2011, Cephalon was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Israel. The acquisition was valued at approximately $6.8 billion and made Teva the largest generic drug manufacturer in the world.
After the acquisition, Cephalon became a subsidiary of Teva and continued to operate under its own name for several years, but in 2016 it was merged with Teva’s other branded pharmaceuticals business to form a new company called Teva Pharmaceuticals USA.