Nycomed to acquire majority stake in Techpool
Expands its presence in China
Nycomed is increasing its presence in China through the acquisition of a majority stake in Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma Co, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company specialising in biologics derived from natural sources.
The privately owned Swiss drug firm has paid around US$210m to take a 51.34% stake in Techpool
Techpool has developed and launched a number of innovative protein drugs, including Ulinastatin, a broad-acting trypsin inhibitor for the treatment of sepsis and multiple organ dysfunctions, and Kallikrein, a serine protease used as a neuroprotective agent in the treatment of stroke.
Techpool’s products are sold across China and exported to a number of countries, including Japan and South Korea. Nycomed says the company has built a strong intellectual property position, with 35 patents filed, of which 17 have already been granted, including one US patent approval.
Guido Oelkers, executive vice president, commercial operations at Nycomed, said: ‘This is a great opportunity for Nycomed and Techpool to build a strong player in the area of pharmaceuticals and biologics in China.’
Nycomed will work alongside Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese pharmaceutical conglomerate, which holds a 40.8% stake in Techpool and has previously been the majority shareholder.
Nycomed says Nycomed China and Techpool will be run as separate companies. They will continue to expand their footprint in China and focus their efforts on five core brands: Ulinastatin, Kallikrein, Pantoloc, Ebrantil and Actovegin.