Gerresheimer’s €350m acquisition brings in ‘close to reality’ tech

30-Jul-2018 - Last updated on 30-Jul-2018 at 12:00 GMT

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Related tags Sensile Gerresheimer Sanofi Verily

The firm’s acquisition of Sensile Medical represents a “new business enhancement”, says Gerresheimer.

Gerresheimer AG, based in Düsseldorf, Germany, has expanded the range of its drug delivery devices by adding the portfolio and expertise of Sensile Medical for €350m ($408m).

The latter company develops technology for liquid drug delivery, with a particular focus on using digital and electronic technology.

A spokesperson for Gerresheimer highlighted how this type of technology could be applied in the short-term: “The technology and products Sensile Medical has developed over the years is very attractive. There are five very concrete customer projects, each of them with a different application.”

The spokesperson noted that several of these products are expected to receive regulatory approvals, highlighting that the acquisition provides the company with technology that is “close to reality” and is not an investment made with only long-term plans in mind.

Gerresheimer announced that the acquisition would extend its business model by providing it with new capabilities and would expand its markets into providing drug delivery devices for patients with diabetes and heart complaints.

The spokesperson extended this by stating: “We are very good at contract manufacturing of drug delivery devices, especially devices like inhalers and insulin-pens, but our own product development, including digital and electronic features, was not part of the business. With Sensile Medical, we have laid the groundwork for a new business enhancement for us”.

In addition to acquiring more digitally focused technology, the spokesperson also referenced the kinds of partners that working in this space allows the company to develop; the company will now be collaborating with both Sanofi and Verily Life Sciences, as a result of Sensile’s project to develop an insulin patch pump with internet connectivity that was announced last month.

The acquisition is a logical follow-on from the decision, two years ago, to refine its business to focus primarily on drug delivery, after selling its lab glassware business.