Famar to buy Spain formulation plant from Roche
The facility in in Leganés, Spain produces solid dose pharmaceutical products and has capacity to handle high potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It is licensed to various markets including the US, which Famar cited as the major motivation for the deal.
Swiss drug manufacturer Roche announced its intention to sell the Leganés facility, along with API plants in Clarecastle, Ireland and Florence, South Carolina, US, and a formulation site in Segrate, Italy, in November last year.
At the time spokeswoman Claudia Schmitt told us “The four sites support our mature portfolio of small molecules,” adding that “this commercial portfolio is at the end of its lifecycle, resulting in a declining demand overall.”
She predicted the divestitures would cost Roche CHF 1.6bn ($1.6bn) and said that products made at the four sites will be transferred to third-party manufacturers.
This was confirmed by Famar, which said it has signed a “long term manufacturing agreement that will allow Famar Leganés to supply Roche in the future from this facility with the current portfolio of products produced at the site.”
A Roche spokeswoman told us "The Leganés site is modern and advanced in terms of infrastructure, process equipment and is approved for worldwide supply.
"It provides Famar with capacities and expertise in solid high potent production, which represents new technology for the company and completes its technology portfolio in solids dosage formulations" she continued, adding that the facility "is just a few kilometres from an existing Famar site in the Madrid area."
The transaction is expected to complete on July 1.
The acqusition comes a few months after Famar said it will buy manufacturing facility in Quebec, Canada from German conglomerate Bayer.
The Pointe-Claire facility is approved by the US FDA to make liquids, creams, ointments and solids. As with the Roche deal, Bayer has also contracted Famar to make products on its behalf.
Roche plans
The Swiss drug manufacturer's efforts to sell its other plants have been less succesful.
The spokeswoman told us "Despite discussions with a global pharma service company on the potential sale of the sites in Clarecastle, Florence, and Segrate, negotiations ended without an agreement.
She added that: "Roche will continue divestment discussions for Segrate while operations in Florence and Clarecastle will be ceased in a phased approach."
