Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Effective on December 30, 2008, Dean J. Mitchell ceased to be employed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Alpharma Inc. ("Alpharma"). Effective on January 6, 2009, Brian A. Markison was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Alpharma. The terms of any compensation to be received by Mr. Markison pursuant to this appointment have not yet been determined.
Mr. Markison, age 49, has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("King") since May 2007. In addition, he has been President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of King since July 2004. Mr. Markison joined King as Chief Operating Officer in March 2004. Mr. Markison served in various positions with Bristol-Myers Squibb beginning in 1982, most recently as President of Bristol-Myers Squibb's Oncology, Virology and Oncology Therapeutics Network businesses. Mr. Markison is also a member of the board of directors of Immunomedics, Inc., a publicly-traded company, and is a member of the board of directors of Alpharma.

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