Mergers and acquisitions

Chesapeake to buy Cortegra to build in US

06-Sep-2011 - Chesapeake will buy leaflet and label maker Cortegra to strengthen its manufacturing position in the US pharmaceutical packaging market.

Lactose giant DMV-Fonterra to buy Indian cellulose excipient maker Brahmar

31-Aug-2011 - DMV-Fonterra excipients (DFE) will buy Indian manufacturer Brahmar Cellulose Private Limited (BCPL) to strengthen its position in the pharmaceutical excipient market and reduce costs.

News in brief

Fareva to buy Pfizer plant to build US pharma presence

31-Aug-2011 - US drug giant Pfizer is to sell its plant in Henrico County, Virginia to Luxembourg-headquartered manufacturer Fareva.

Ashland completes ISP takeover and predicts customer benefits

25-Aug-2011 - US chemicals maker Ashland says completion of ISP takeover means simplified supply chains for drug and cosmetics industry customers.

Akela plans CMO buys after exiting development project

10-Aug-2011 - Akela Pharma is focusing on its CMO and expanding it through acquisitions after its partner exited their drug development programme.

ICIG takes Roche Colorado in bid to flex contract peptide manufacturing muscle

08-Aug-2011 - International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) will take over Roche’s Colorado API plant in a bid to gain footing in the peptide manufacturing industry.

Pall solidifies long-term Engefiltro relationship in take-over

20-Jul-2011 - Filtration, separation and purification technology company Pall is to acquire its long-time Brazilian distribution partner, Engefiltro.

Granules and Ajinomoto OmniChem to open Indian API facility

19-Jul-2011 - Granules and Ajinomoto OmniChem have teamed up to produce high value APIs and intermediates at a new Indian plant.

Gerresheimer wants to buy into US plastic packaging sector

06-Jul-2011 - Gerresheimer is interested in a US acquisition as part of a bid to build in the North American plastic drug packaging sector.

BioMarin to buy Pfizer’s Shanbally biologics plant

27-Jun-2011 - BioMarin will buy Pfizer’s biologics manufacturing plant in Shanbally, Cork, Ireland to add production capacity for its candidate mucopolysaccharidosis treatment.

GSK to buy China flu vaccine JV GSKNB for $39m

14-Jun-2011 - GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced plans to buy its joint venture Shenzhen GSK Neptunus Biologicals (GSKNB) to expand influenza vaccine production capacity in China.

Hovione and PSI team on poorly soluble APIs

09-Jun-2011 - Portugal-headquartered API manufacturer Hovione has teamed up with Particle Sciences (PSI) to tackle the issue of poor drug solubility.

Ashland to pay $3.2bn for ISP

01-Jun-2011 - Ashland will buy International Specialty Products (ISP) in a deal designed to expand it's business in less cyclical, high-growth markets such as pharmaceuticals and personal care.

update

Watson buys Specifar in busy month of M&As for generics sector

31-May-2011 - Watson Pharmaceuticals has bought Greek generics firm Specifar Pharmaceuticals, bringing to an end a busy month of deal making in the non-branded drug sector.

Shire to enter regenerative meds with Advanced BioHealing buy

18-May-2011 - UK-based drugmaker Shire has unveiled plans to buy Advanced BioHealing (ABH) citing the lack of generic competition in the regenerative medicines sector as a factor.

Spin-off or demerger being considered by Aurobindo

11-May-2011 - Aurobindo Pharma is considering demerging its API and formulation businesses to unlock value and better serve clients.

Elan sells EDT unit to Alkermes

09-May-2011 - Elan will sell its delivery technology unit, EDT, to Alkermes in a deal that brings to an end the Irish drugmakers’ long search for a buyer.

News in brief

Clariant acquires Süd Chemie

28-Apr-2011 - Switzerland – based specialty chemicals group Clariant has acquired 96.15 per cent of German Süd – Chemie.

update

Oystar sells processing tech units to Bosch

27-Apr-2011 - Oystar has sold its processing tech units, Huttlin and Manesty, to Bosch in a deal that continues its effort to refocus on primary and secondary packaging.

Hikma invests in Mumbai-based Unimark Remedies

18-Apr-2011 - MENA-focused drug manufacturer, Hikma, has entered into a strategic partnership with Indian API and intermediates business, Unimark Remedies.

Nano Terra puts pen to paper in deal for Surface Logix

12-Apr-2011 - Nano Terra, a surface engineering and nanotechnology company based in Brighton Massachusetts, US, has struck a deal to acquire neighbouring drug developer, Surface Logix.

Pfizer to sell Capsugel for $2.4bn, no decision on other divestitures yet

05-Apr-2011 - Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has agreed to sell Capsugel, its drug delivery technology unit, to US investment group Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) for $2.4bn (€1.7bn).

Romaco sold; new owners plan expansion and investment

05-Apr-2011 - Processing and packaging technology firm Romaco will be sold to German private equity group Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) for €61m (£86.5m).

Sigma posts loss but shares soar on special dividend

28-Mar-2011 - Sigma Pharmaceuticals posted a A$235.4m (€172.0m) loss in 2010 but its share value soared on payment of a special dividend.

Gerresheimer buys Bazilian plastic pack firm Vedat

23-Mar-2011 - Gerresheimer has bought Brazilian pharmaceutical plastic packaging maker Vedat, citing rapid growth of the country’s drug market, particularly the generics segment, as the main driver for the acquisition.