Latest M&As in the pharmaceutical space
Optima buys Metall + Plastic for isolator tech
Optima Group Pharma has bought fellow Germany-based Metall + Plastic, adding isolator and e-beam sterilizer technology to its existing filling and packaging offering.
Optima said that the acquisition, financial details of which were not disclosed, was made in response to increasing pharmaceutical industry demand for turnkey solutions to packaging problems.
The firm explained: “Customers from the pharmaceutical industry often want a central contact in particular for their most complex machine projects,” adding that “product portfolios of both companies ideally complement each other.”
It added that operations at Radolfzell-headquartered Metall + Plastic, which generates annual turnover of around €19m and employs a staff of 72 people, will remain unchanged.
SPI buys SAG for prostone IP
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals (SPI) says acquisition of SAG gives it control of patents vital to its current and future prostone products including Amitiza, cobiprostone, SPI-017.
SPI said the deal, which includes both the Switzerland-based patent holding company Sucampo AG and its Japanese, secures its intellectual property position and eliminates future royalty and milestone payment obligations.
The total value of the deal, made up of an upfront payment of $28m and a promissory note worth $52m, may increase by 15 per cent based on the outcome of ongoing arbitration proceeding between SPI and Amitiza marketing partner Takeda.
Anthony Celeste, SPI's lead independent director, said, "In addition to the control and ownership of the intellectual property underlying the company's products and pipeline candidates.”
He added that: “[It] simplifies our company's organization and certain of its operations, and further aligns the interests our company with those of its co-founders and majority shareholders."
DPS enters US engineering market with Biometrics buy
Irish processing firm DPS Engineering has entered the US market with the acquisition of Massachusetts-based Biometrics LLP.
The deal, reported by the Irish Independent, will benefit both firms according to DPS director Frank Keogh.
He told the paper that the : "skills and expertise of DPS and Biometics will result in substantial growth in our combined business on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Biometrics roster of clients already includes Dow Chemicals, Celltech and AstraZeneca.
