PharmaZell, a supplier of resilient specialty APIs, and Novasep, a CDMO focused on complex small molecules and ADCs, have announced the closing of a merger following exclusive negotiations initiated in September 2021. The merger will create a ‘technology driven, leading CDMO and API manufacturer,’ the companies say.
Novasep’s assets, capabilities, experience and expertise are complementary to PharmaZell. Combining the two businesses will give the company a footprint in Europe, the United States and India.
Additionally, the combined group will be able to support customers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors across the entire drug life cycle, the companies say, while guaranteeing proximity and quality of service to deliver appropriate therapies for the benefit of patients. The combined business will employ more than 2,000 employees across ten production and R&D sites, with seven in Europe, two in India and one in the USA.
The transaction is backed by PharmaZell’s current majority shareholder Bridgepoint.
Dr Sylke Hassel, former CEO of PharmaZell and CEO of the group said: “Today is a very important step on our journey to better support our customers and the patients they serve. This merger is a significant opportunity to further improve our offering, providing a broader set of technologies, a global manufacturing footprint and an end-to-end lifecycle management.”
Dr Michel Spagnol, former CEO of Novasep, who will join the Board of Directors, said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board of Directors where I will contribute to the strategic direction of the new company. I have great confidence that the group will become a major player thanks to the complementarity of its offer and the combination of talents. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all Novasep's employees for their commitment and hard work during these past years and remain confident that they will continue to strongly contribute to the development of the new group.”