Exemed buys UCB plant and wins supply contract
Under the deal – financial terms of which were not disclosed - the plant will continue to produce, package and distribute UCB’s drugs for the local market under a multi-year supply agreement. The Vapi site's 80-strong workforce is expected to join Exemed.
UCB said: “By choosing Exemed as its Indian partner, UCB is confidently transferring its production to a fast-growing manufacturing company that has the highest quality standards and growth ambitions for the site.”
It added that: "The agreement is in line with UCB’s strategy to focus on bringing new innovative drugs to patients and less on mass manufacturing for which UCB increasingly relies on a network of trusted partners.”
Strategy
This strategy has seen UCB divest several manufacturing facilities in recent years, notably two plants in Monheim and Zwickau in Germany and one in Pianezza, Italy which it sold to UK contract manufacturing organisation Aesica.
Since then UCB has focused on bringing new drugs to patients. Earlier this month it signed a deal with Dubi-based Newbridge Pharmaceuticals to sell its drugs Cimzia, Vimpat and Neupro in the Middle East and Africa.
Under the deal, NewBridge has acquired local rights to the drugs from UCB’s former partner RX Group, and will be responsible for managing the local regulatory approval process, future commercialization, and pharmacovigilance in each of the relevant countries.
