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Exhibit 10.1

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO LETTER AGREEMENT

        AMENDMENT NO. 1 (the "Amendment"), dated as of August 22, 2002, to the
Letter Agreement, dated as of March 18, 1997 (the "Agreement"), between
SICOR Inc. (formerly known as Gensia Sicor Inc.), a corporation organized under
the laws of Delaware (the "Company"), Rakepoll Finance N.V., a corporation
organized under the laws of The Netherlands Antilles and Mr. Donald E. Panoz.

W I T N E S S E T H:

        NOW, THEREFORE; the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

        1.    Amendment of Paragraph 5 on Page 2.    Paragraph 5 on page 2 of
the Agreement is hereby amended by deleting such paragraph in its entirety and
substituting in lieu thereof the following:

        "5.    You will receive:    

        (a)  20,356 shares of the Company's Common Stock to be delivered to you
within ten business days of execution of the Amendment, and

        (b)  On or before February 28 of each year beginning in 2003 and
continuing through and including 2010, the Company will pay you $100,000 in
cash."

        2.    Full Force and Effect.    Except as modified, amended or
supplemented above, all rights, terms and conditions of the Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect.

        3.    Governing Law.    The Agreement, as amended, shall be governed by
and construed under the laws of the State of California (irrespective of its
choice of law principles).

        4.    Counterparts.    This Amendment may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment to the
Agreement as of the date first written above.

    SICOR INC.        
 
 
By:
/s/  MARVIN SAMSON      

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Name: Marvin Samson
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer        
 
 
RAKEPOLL FINANCE N.V.        
 
 
By:
/s/  CARLO SALVI      

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Name: Carlo Salvi
Title: Chairman of the Board        
 
 
DONALD E. PANOZ        
 
 
By:
/s/  DONALD E. PANOZ      

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Name: Donald E. Panoz

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Exhibit 10.1