2001: company changed its name to Amersham plc and the businesses became Amersham Biosciences and Amersham Health.; 1997: Amersham is organised in two businesses, Amersham Health (medical diagnostics and therapy products) and Amersham Biosciences (discovery systems and protein separations). The company was formed in 1997 from the mergers of Amersham International (UK), Pharmacia Biotech (Sweden) and Nycomed (Norway). 1940: government laboratory founded by Patrick Grove. 1949: renamed The Radiochemical Centre (TRC) it became a government owned body managed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority in 1950. 1968: Amersham Searle (a 50-50 joint venture with GD Searle Pharmaceuticals) is established at Arlington Heights near Chicago to market Amersham's products in the USA, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary in 1997. 1971: The Radiochemical Centre becomes limited company. 1982: privatisation as Amersham International